Innocent Kiss
by Light Sneasel
Summary: Hamtaro: This is the end... for now, but it's also a beginning*updated saturday 03/22/03*
1. Chapter one: On why there should be Good...

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, but I find that the Ham-Hams very cute and interesting. I do however own Lunette and Snuff.  
  
A/N: this is the first time I have tried these two categories. At the moment I haven't decided on what parings I want, so I am somewhat open with suggestions in the reviews. I do know that this will be Travis/Laura.  
  
Innocent Kiss Chapter one: On why there should be Good Samaritan laws for helping mages.  
  
  
  
It was a quiet peaceful evening and the young boy was on his way home. Soccer practice was over a bit late, but he didn't mind. Travis hummed to himself as he tossed the black and white ball up into the air, only to catch again. He was happy that he managed to score several times earlier. His peaceful walk was interrupted by a piercing screech. He flinched and the soccer ball bounced off his head. Grumbling he chased it. He caught it as it stopped in front of an alley. He looked up from picking up his ball and saw a white cat with grey fur around its paws. The cat had cornered something. Being the champion of the little guy, and somewhat annoyed at being bopped on the head, he decided to intervene. He took the ball in his hands, measured the angle, and then drop kicked it. The ball bounced off the far wall, hit in front of the cat startling it, then bounced over it and rolled back in front of the boy.  
  
"Shoo!" He shouted as he did so. The creature the cat cornered darted toward him. It ran over and hid behind his foot. The cat was scared and confused, but quickly caught on to what had happened. Travis glanced down at the field hamster that was cowering behind his right sneaker. It was a sliver-grey hamster with a brown poncho and fedora on. Doing something he shouldn't have, he picked up the small wild critter as he bent down and retrieved his ball. The cat glared at him with gold eyes. He had time to notice the cat had grey on its ears too. He turned and walked out of the alley, still holding the small rodent. Just as he stepped out of the alley, he felt a sharp pain on his lower left calf. He saw the cat dart ahead of him. Turning his head and looking down, he noticed a small scratch on his leg. He turned and glared at the cat that was looking at him with a smug expression. He took a step forward then suddenly the whole world started to spin as his vision blurred. Just as he started to collapse, he felt warmth coming from his hand.  
  
The next thing Travis noticed was the ceiling of his room. Apparently he somehow got home and into bed. Sitting up, he felt that something was amiss. His whole room was huge.  
  
"I must be dreaming," he said in disbelief.  
  
"No, but you may wish you were" said a female voice from behind and to the right of him. He turned and found himself face to face with the hamster he saved earlier. She was sliver-grey all over except for a white crescent moon over her left eye, and on her cheeks. As before she was wearing a brown fedora and matching poncho. She had rosy pink eyes.  
  
"WA!" He shouted jumping back. "What? How?"  
  
"Well, I can answer those questions. But first I have to thank you. You saved my life back there. So let me explain what happened to you. Let me show you something, it will make explaining things easier," said the hamster. She pulled out a small piece of reflective foil. What met Travis's stunned gaze was his reflection, but to him it was wrong. He was a small black hamster, with his same brown eyes. He moved his arm and the reflection did the same. He hit himself on the side of the head, and he felt the sharp pain.  
  
"I'm a hamster... ," he said in shock.  
  
"Yes, but don't worry it can be temporary," the other hamster said.  
  
"But how?" he said sitting down.  
  
"Well, that cat was a sorcerer, a very dark and powerful one. He and I are enemies. I'm a mage and I've stopped some of his plans before. Because he holds grudges he wants to eat me. You distracted him and allowed me to get away. So he cursed you, turning you into a hamster. He was planning to eat you, but I, using your natural magic, interfered. I managed to weaken the curse, and to get us to your home," she said.  
  
"Let me get this straight, you're a mage," he stated. The hamster nodded. "And that cat is a sorcerer. You both have this rivalry going on, and I just happened to caught in it?" She nodded again. "So turn me back."  
  
"I can't," she said embarrassed. "See I was exhausted when I did all of the interference, so the curse and counter-curse got mixed up with your natural magic. You're going to have to cure yourself."  
  
"WHAT!" the boy shouted. "I'M NOT A MAGE!"  
  
"Its not that bad. One, The counter curse will activate soon. However, the curse will reactivate at set time. I don't when it will, or what might trigger it. Two, you are a mage, or a least a potential one. So you could learn how. I just have to teach you," she said in a rush and waving her paws in front of her. Suddenly she collapsed. Worried Travis ran forward.  
  
"Hey what's wrong?" he asked almost panicking.  
  
"Just tired. Plus I have a nasty scratch on my back. I guess I was a bit slow to dodge," she said. "I guess your going to have to get used to this on your own. Just so you will know, my name is Lunette." She said as she blacked out.  
  
(Great, now what?) Travis thought. Sighing he gently pulled her poncho up and notice the three large red scratches over a large white spot on her back. They weren't deep, but they must have hurt. He noticed the clock and realized she must have waited for hours for him to wake up so she could talk to him. Smiling sympathetically, He let her rest. He spotted his cloths at the foot of the bed and scampered over to them. -Badda-badda- He stood over his own shirt and wondered at the size of it. (I must be about eight centimeters tall,) he guessed by comparing himself to his cloths. -Hif-hif- He sniffed the air, and then listened. (Well, my sense of smell and my hearing are better. But still this is such a drag...) He sat down and sighed.  
  
Morning came after the long night, as it always does. Travis yawned then stretched. He noticed his room was the same size as always was. (Maybe, it was a dream,) he thought as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Then he noticed three things; he wasn't wearing any cloths, the hamster he saved was sleeping on his pillow, and his shirt was still at the foot of his bed.  
  
(It could still be a dream right? I mean I could have been very tired last night...) He rationalized. He got up and got dressed for the day. Luckily it wasn't a school day. He gently picked Lunette up and carried her downstairs. Confronting his parents he managed to convince them to let him keep her, at least until she got better. They said they would wait and see if he took good care of her. They would base their decision if he could keep her longer on that. But first they told him to take her to the vet, while they got some pet supplies.  
  
"Well, let's get you fixed up," he whispered to the still sleeping hamster. His trip to the nearest vet was uneventful. But when he walked in to the waiting room, he happened to see someone from his class.  
  
"Hi Travis, what are you doing here?" Kana asked. The raven-haired boy paused when she addressed him.  
  
"I found this injured hamster, and I wanted to help," Travis said, uncharacteristically embarrassed. He showed the girl in glasses Lunette who just woke up.  
  
"Oh she's adorable," Kana gushed. "But don't you have a carrier like I have for Oxnard here?" she said showing Travis her pet. The grey and white hamster looked out at the duo with some curiosity.  
  
"No, at least not yet," Travis said shaking his head. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, Oxnard is needs to get his yearly check up. But don't let me keep you, Go to the desk and get her some help," she said pushing the soccer player to the receptionist.  
  
The receptionist told the boy to go to the back and a veterinarian was shortly with him. The vet easily patched Lunette up, and after Travis explained that he found her, he offered to give her all of her shots. But she would have to stay overnight. Travis wasn't happy, but he agreed.  
  
(I wish he asked me if I would mind staying. But then again he can't understand me anymore. I guess these shots must be important, whatever they are. I wonder if I can eat them,) Lunette thought as she was taken to another room. (Oh well, at least my back isn't bothering me anymore!)  
  
When Travis left the veterinarian's office he went for a walk in the park to sort out his thoughts. He sat down on bench and looked at the people passing by. (Do I really have magic? Or am I just touched in the head? I guess there is one way to test it out...) He stood and glanced around. He found that was looking at him, so he ducked into some bushes. Sitting on the ground Indian style, he concentrated on changing and...  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Just as I thought, I must have imagined the whole thing," he said to himself.  
  
"Imagined what?" a girl's voice asked. Travis looked up and met Laura's cheerful, but shy gaze.  
  
"Oh nothing," he said quickly standing up. "Well, I've got to go," he said trying to walk off cool-like.  
  
"Oh. Well can I ask you why you were sitting in some bushes?" Laura asked, some what disappointed at his abrupt departure.  
  
"I...I... I thought I saw a rare bird," he stammered blushing as he walked quickly away. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his left leg, then a sensation of warmth that was slowly spreading up from it. He stopped waved goodbye to Laura, and then jogged away. Laura hesitantly waved back as she quickly lost sight of him.  
  
(I wonder why he was in such a hurry. Did I scare him off or something?) She thought. Travis, on the other hand, had problems, namely the world was getting a heck of a lot larger. The warmth had just about flowed over his whole body. He was quickly getting too small for his cloths as the warmth completely engulfed him. He ducked behind a tree just as his vision flashed white. The next thing he knew the world was black, and something thick and heavy was covering him. He looked around and spotted a circle of light ahead of him. He moved over to it and crawled out of his shirt. As he turned and stared at his cloths, he felt a breeze ruffle his fur.  
  
(Ok, there goes the last of my doubts, now what in the world triggered this? And more importantly how do I get back to myself,) he thought. He pondered his situation for sometime. He was startled out of his continplations by a voice hailing him.  
  
"Hamha! I haven't seen you around her before," some one called out to him. Shocked he jumped up and looked around. "Over here," the voice said. He turned toward the voice and spotted the speaker. It was a large, cream and black furred hamster. He was wearing a yellow hard hat with a green strip around the middle and a red crescent moon on it, and was carrying a shovel.  
  
"Who are you?" Travis asked.  
  
"I'm Boss, and you?" The hamster said walking over to his side.  
  
"Um, I'm...Avis," he said, impulsively giving a different name for himself. (Weird, I've never been spontaneous before...)  
  
"Well Avis, are you new around here?" Boss asked.  
  
"Sort of. I'm here temporally," he answered.  
  
"Well come with me. We shouldn't be here when the human comes back," the other said, pointing toward Travis's cloths. "I live around here."  
  
"I guess," Travis said reluctantly.  
  
"That's the sprit!" The larger hamster exclaimed pulling Travis along. "The others will be glad to meet you!" After being dragged through an entry arch made up of three stones, he was rushed down some underground tunnels. As he was on his way, his guide explained that he build all of them.  
  
"I knew hamsters like to dig, but I didn't know how much!" He said in awe of his environs. "I'm impressed."  
  
"Well you haven't seen anything yet," Boss said stopping in front of a wooden door. "Here we are." He opened the door and Travis saw his first sight of the clubhouse. 


	2. Chapter two: On how not to avoid collate...

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, but I do own a videotape with episodes of Hamtaro on it. I do own Lunette and Snuff. And this little ficcy!  
  
A/N: I need to know; who do think Bijou should go after, Boss, Hamtaro, or someone else. Inquiring minds want to know! (But on a personal note, I like H/B but due to certain episodes, I am wavering... perhaps I shouldn't have said that... um... just read please.)  
  
Innocent Kiss Chapter two: On how not to avoid collateral damage.  
  
The quiet hunter moved silently across the grasses as he stalked his prey. The hunter was stopped the last time he tried to get this prey, but this time would be different. This time there would be no interfering mage to muck things up. The white and grey tomcat inched every closer to his goal. There! There was the object of the hunt. The little morsel was right behind a tree. And the best thing was that he didn't have to reapply the curse. The interfering one was already in an easily disposable form. The Sorcerer was about to pounce on the small black hamster as the rodent was talking to a field hamster next to him. Suddenly footsteps broke the concentration of the hunter. Whipping around to face what ever was sneaking up him, he startled the brown haired-human girl. Factoring her as no threat, he turned back to the hunt, only to find his target had eluded him again!  
  
Laura had followed Travis to ask him an important question, but saw the stalking cat. She was curious to see what it was after and followed. Boy, was she surprised when she accidentally snuck up on it and it turned around so quickly. She backed up a bit from the cool glare she received. Then the cat turned away from her and focused back on its target. Suddenly it stiffened. A tremor went through the smaller animal, and then it slowly turned to stare at Laura. By this time however she had already started to walk away. The cat glanced back and marked the tunnel its target probably entered then followed the girl. Laura was walking on her way home when she bumped into her best friend Kana and her pet hamster Oxnard.  
  
"Hey Kana! What's going on?" The sixth-grader asked.  
  
"Oh hi Laura! I'm just coming back from the vet's. Oxnard just got a check-up," she responded cheerfully. She held up the carrier he was in to show her friend.  
  
(Yep! I'm one hundred percent healthy!) Oxnard thought as he listened to the conversation about his day.  
  
"So that's where you were all day. I was wondering. This reminds me, I should have Hamtaro looked at," she said.  
  
"Well when was the last time you did?" Kana asked. As Laura formed her response, nether one of the girls or the hamster noticed the two pairs of eyes watching. One pair filled with menace and quiet anger, the other filled with kindness and courage.  
  
Meanwhile Travis looked around in surprise and awe at the clubhouse. The multi-leveled structure had an indoor slide, a small cable car, and even a jungle gym! Inside were several other hamsters. One was a brown and white hamster in a red sock. This one was sleeping and had rosy red cheeks. Another was also brown and white, but was awake. This hamster was taller then most of the others in the room. He was currently reading a red book to a smaller white hamster with two pig tails tied by blue ribbons and a grey and white hamster with brown glasses on. The latter three were sitting at a small brown table. Boss cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.  
  
"Attention Ham-hams! We have a guest!" he announced. All present looked up, including someone Travis didn't notice before. A white hamster, with brown ears and wearing a green swimmer's cap looked out from underneath a red saucepan. "Ham-hams, allow me to introduce Avis."  
  
"Um... hi," Travis said nervously.  
  
"Hamha Avis!" Everyone cheerfully greeted the new arrival.  
  
"I'd be proper for us to introduce ourselves, I'm Dexter," The hamster with the glasses said.  
  
"Please to meet you! I'm Maxwell!" The hamster with the book said.  
  
"Bonjour! I'm Bijou," the white hamster said in a soft French accent.  
  
"And I'm Cappy, and he's Snoozer. Don't worry he's always like that," the hamster under the pan said pointing at the sleeping hamster.  
  
"Um... Nice to meet you all," Travis said still a tad off balance.  
  
"Hey why don't you join us? I was just reading a story," Maxwell asked. Travis nervously looked around then nodded.  
  
(I wonder what this story could be about?) He wondered. When he had seated himself next to Dexter, Maxwell began reading again.  
  
Laura had finished her conversation with Kana and the two girls were standing in front of their houses. Kana stopped to wave at Laura as she went into her house to put Oxnard in her room. The two girls had decided to go out for ice cream, but Kana want to take Oxnard home first.  
  
(Now is my chance,) the cat thought. He darted out from some bushes and scratched Laura's left ankle.  
  
"Ow!" Laura shouted in pain and surprise. She turned around and spotted the cat from the park staring at her. "Why did you do that?" she asked. Suddenly her whole body felt warm and the world started to spin. She blinked once than fainted. The cat smiled at the seemingly empty pile of cloths now in front of him. Using a paw he fished around in the clothing and rolled something out. It was a small brown hamster with two yellow ribbons around her ears. Oddly enough this helped form her fur into two ponytails that looked similar to her original hairstyle.  
  
"Little one, no one stands between me and my prey. Now you will have to pay the price for your unwitting interference," he said. He raised one paw up and unsheathed his claws. Just before he brought it down, a loud bark startled him. He turned and noticed a brown and white dog running in his direction. He hissed then turned back to his intended victim, but she wasn't there! Glancing up, he noticed another hamster carrying/dragging his prey away! The orange and white fuzz ball was going to ruin his revenge! He was going to give chase, but the dog was now too close. He turned and with one last hiss, dashed off. The brown and white dog stopped at the edge of the yard when he was sure the threat to his mistress was gone. He turned and looked thoughtfully at the now empty clothing on the ground.  
  
Laura opened her eyes slowly. She was feeling very disoriented to say the least. When her fuzzy vision cleared, she found herself staring into concerned brown eyes. "Um... who are you? And what happened?" She asked the owner of the eyes. She blinked when the other stepped back. (This can't be right,) she thought. "Hamtaro?" she asked confused.  
  
"Hi Laura!" her golden hamster said. "Please don't panic, but you got turned into a hamster by a cat! Isn't that funny?" He then proceeded to laugh nervously, a large sweat drop forming on the back of his head. Laura blinked twice at him, then promptly fainted again. -Kushi-Kushi- "That went well..." he murmured grooming himself. He looked out of the tunnel leading to the front yard of his home and sighed.  
  
"And the brave hero came back from the eagle's lair with proof of his courage and married the princess," Maxwell finished.  
  
"Isn't that so romantic," Bijou said dreamily.  
  
"I like the part when he outsmarted the eagle," Dexter said to Boss.  
  
(I don't believe that there are stories with the main characters being hamsters,) Travis thought. (Then again, here I am, a hamster myself. And changed by a magic cat no less!)  
  
"So Avis, what was your favorite part?" Cappy asked.  
  
Travis didn't responded at once, as he was still deep in thought. Shaking his head he responded, "I liked the fight with the evil knight."  
  
"That was pretty good," Maxwell noted. Before anyone else could make a comment a soft knock was heard.  
  
"I'll get it," Boss said getting up. -Daba-Daba- he opened the door and smiled. "Why hello! Glad to see that you could make it today. Come on in!" He stepped aside as two tiger striped hamsters walked in. One was a boy, and the other was a girl. The girl was holding a rhythm gymnastics ribbon, and the boy a pair of maracas  
  
"Like, Hamha everyone!" The girl cheerfully greeted.  
  
"Hamha ham-dudes and ham-dudettes," the boy said. "Stan is here."  
  
"Chill bro," the girl said to her brother, "It's to early for that.  
  
"Hey I haven't done anything yet," Stan replied.  
  
"Hamha, Sandy," Maxwell said to the female of the pair.  
  
"Hamha Stan," Cappy said. "We have a guest!"  
  
"Is a beautiful ham-girl?" Stan asked shaking his maracas.  
  
"I'm pretty sure I'm not a girl," Travis said looking around Bijou.  
  
"Hamgoof," Stan murmured. Both the newcomers took a seat at the table. Sandy sat next to Maxwell, and Stan sat next to Boss. "So who are you?" Stan asked curiously.  
  
"I'm Avis," Travis said nervously.  
  
"Like, where are you from? Do you live around here?" Sandy asked the boy turned hamster. As Travis was about to try to form a response, the door was kicked open.  
  
"Everyone, we have a crisis on our paws!" Hamtaro exclaimed from the door. He walked in carrying Laura piggyback style. The ham-girl was still out of it.  
  
"Who's this? And what happened?" Boss asked concerned. The larger field hamster quickly relived an exhausted Hamtaro of his burden. The orange and white hamster gave him a small smile of thanks.  
  
"Well, you won't believe this, but that's my human, Laura," Hamtaro said sitting wearily next to Sandy.  
  
"WHAT!" Everyone exclaimed. Travis sat in complete shock. He stared as Boss placed Laura on a smile pile of straw in a coroner.  
  
"You're right, that is unbelievable. Could you explain?" Bijou asked. Hamtaro nodded.  
  
"I was on my way home when I saw this cat following Laura and Kana..." He started to narrate. Hamtaro was just entered Laura's room. Using some nearby furniture he managed to climb to a window overlooking the front yard. He noticed the Laura had stopped to watch Kana enter her house. He also noticed the cat sneaked up to her from around the hedges. -Heke- (What's he doing?) Hamtaro thought. He saw the strike, and saw a brilliant white light consume Laura from the feet up. When it faded only a pile of her clothing was left. Hamtaro quickly climbed down from the windowsill and squeezed behind the headboard of Laura's bed. Using his tunnel there, he made it to the roof of the house. Sliding down the waterspout he landed on the Haruna family dog, Brandy.  
  
"Brandy, Laura's in trouble!" He exclaimed. The dog surprisingly woke up quickly, and Hamtaro jumped off of his head. "Could you distract a cat while I check on her?" he asked. Brandy nodded, and then ran off in the direction of the front yard. Hamtaro followed a bit slower. They were just in time to see and hear what the cat was about to do, and more importantly what he said. Hamtaro dashed toward Laura while Brandy started barking. Hamtaro managed to reach Laura and get her to safety as Brandy scared the cat away. He waited at the entrance of one of Boss's tunnels, and sure enough he spotted the cat across the street staring at the tunnel and both he and Laura were hiding in. Shaking his head, he decided to head to the clubhouse to find some help.  
  
"And here I am," he finished. "So what do you think I should do?" As everyone was thinking, Travis ran out of the clubhouse at top speed.  
  
-Badda-Badda- (This my chance! I've got to force that cat to change me back,) he thought. (Now which way?) -Hif-Hif- Using his new nose, he found the tunnel Hamtaro came from. He ran down it until he came to an opening. Just before he burst into the afternoon sunlight he skid to a halt. (What am I doing?) He thought. Instead of coming heedlessly into the open, he cautiously poked his head out and looked around. The cost seemed to be clear. He took a few steps out from shelter, still on guard. And it was good thing he was, as the cat pounced from the bushes behind him. He just managed to dart aside at the last moment. Travis dodged the cat by running toward Laura and Hamtaro's house. He squeezed into a small crack in the siding, just in the nick of time. The cat slid to a halt just before he ran into the wall. He waited, his tail twitching every so slightly. As he did, he heard Brandy running in his direction again.  
  
"Rest guardian of your love ones and dream well, Swift slumber!" The cat softly intoned. The dog blinked twice, then promptly fell asleep mid- stride. "Now that he is out of the way, come out little interfering one. I will not hurt you." When Travis didn't answer, he continued speaking, "Perhaps you don't answer, because you don't know me. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Snuff, and you are?"  
  
"Why should I answer that? I mean you cursed me for no reason? Plus you're trying to eat me," Travis answered.  
  
"Well, I would and could do no such thing. You must have mistaken me from someone else," Snuff countered calmly.  
  
"And that dog feel asleep for no reason by himself?" Travis asked.  
  
"Perhaps," the grey and white tomcat answered. He looked into the hole Travis went into and was rewarded for his trouble with a small rock to his face. He jumped back with a yowl.  
  
"Oh sure, you expect me to believe that?" Travis challenged. (Especially since I felt the weird warmth again when he did whatever,) The black hamster thought. Snuff calmly and silently waited. He figured since he couldn't reach Travis, he would just wait until the boy came out.  
  
Back at the clubhouse Laura woke up. Shaking her head she looked around and quickly came to the conclusion she wasn't in her front yard anymore. She heard someone approaching her and turned to spot Bijou and Sandy walking over to her. (What's going on here?) She thought.  
  
"Now stay calm, we need to explain what happened to you," Bijou said.  
  
"You totally got turned into a hamster like us," Sandy said helping the other girl up. Laura silently looked around then down at her new body.  
  
(I'm not dreaming. This is real, isn't it?) She thought. "Where am I then?" She asked.  
  
"You are in the Ham-Ham clubhouse. Hamtaro brought you here," Bijou answered. "How do you feel?" She asked.  
  
"How do I feel? How do I feel? I feel great considering the facts that my whole world has been altered, I am now a couple of centimeters tall, and I having a conversation with two hamsters," She answered giggling hysterically. Bijou and Sandy exchanged concerned glances as tears replaced Laura's laughter.  
  
(Hamtaro, come back quickly,) Bijou thought. The Ham-Ham in question and his friends were headed in the same direction as Travis. They were hoping to help him.  
  
-Badda-Badda- "Hey, Hamtaro! Are you sure you don't want to stay with your...um... human?" Boss asked.  
  
"I would, but I need to now if I can get her changed back. Besides, I want to know why Avis ran off like that!" He answered back.  
  
"That's a good question. Maybe he knows more than he told us," Maxwell said. "Maybe he knows a way to help."  
  
"Are maybe he is involved with this whole situation. He could be working with that cat," Stan suggested.  
  
"Why would he do a thing like that?" Dexter asked.  
  
"Well, we'll find out, because we're here!" Cappy stated. Boss looked out first, since he didn't want the others needlessly exposed to danger. -Hif-Hif- He quickly found were Snuff was located. The cat hadn't moved since he cornered Travis. Boss motioned for the others to take a look. After a moments pause to assess the circumstances Dexter spoke up.  
  
"Well, it seems safe to guess that he isn't working with the cat," the bi-spectacled hamster said.  
  
"Yeah, but now what? The cat doesn't seem to know we're here, but we can't do anything to something that big!" Cappy exclaimed.  
  
"I don't know if I have read anything that can help us," Maxwell said.  
  
"Worry not because I have a plan! Cappy can I borrow you pan?" Hamtaro asked.  
  
"Oh I see, you're going to use it like we did when we rescued Bijou that time!" Dexter exclaimed.  
  
"You got it!" Hamtaro exclaimed.  
  
"Brilliant, But the you will never make it back, he's a lot bigger than that other cat you out maneuvered Hamtaro. Plus you're still tired," Maxwell said.  
  
"Then I'll go to distract him," Stan said. "After the best moves."  
  
"That's very brave of you," Boss said.  
  
"It's nothing Boss man. Just something I know I can do," The tiger striped hamster said coolly. (Besides, chicks dig the cool hero types,) he thought to himself.  
  
"Well let me give you all some advice," Boss said. "After all if you have to do something like this, you have to do it right." The ham-hams huddled together as they planned their next move.  
  
On the other side of the yard however, Travis was trying to find a way out. The crack he stuffed himself in didn't go very far, and he needed to think of something. He was getting hungry and he figured Snuff could wait him out. Just as he concluded he might not be able to get out, he heard someone yell.  
  
"Oopaa!" He heard Stan yell. Snuff glanced over with one eye, and then focused his attention back onto the hole. Stan charged straight to the cat, skidding to a halt just a few behind him. "Hey over here! I bet you can't catch me, man!" He taunted. Snuff glanced at him, and noticed the tiger-striped hamster was giving him a raspberry and pulling down one eye. A small vein could be seen bulging on his forehead, but he didn't move. "I bet you're slow. Man, I bet a snail could out run you. I could get away from you by walking, backwards with my eyes closed," he provoked further. Snuff didn't seem to be affected, until one looked at his tail, which was waving in anger.  
  
"Do not tempt me little morsel," The cat growled. "My patience has been tried enough today."  
  
"Man, if you don't want to chase me, it's because you know you can't catch me," Stan said crossing his arms. Snuff hissed then he turned and bounded toward Stan. The hamster just barely reacted in time. He ran for his life as the cat was just behind him.  
  
As soon as the cat started to chase him, Boss and Dexter dashed across the yard to the crack in the wall. "Hey all you alright?" Boss asked. Travis squeezed himself out. Shaking his head to clear it, he spoke.  
  
"I'm fine. Thanks for the help," he said. By this time Stan had reached his target, Cappy's pan. The younger ham-Ham had moved it to the yard to give him a quick hidey-hole, before going back underground. He ducked under it as the cat pounced on it.  
  
"Now little morsel, you're dinner," he said holding the pan in place. Before he could push it over, a voice called out from behind him.  
  
"Hey cat! If you want me, you better come back over here!" Travis shouted. The cat didn't respond with words. Instead he ran toward the three hamsters, who made a break for the tunnel when they saw the danger. It seemed like he would cut them off, but they just pulled ahead and dove into the tunnel. The cat instead of stopping turned on a dime and charged the pan, which was slowly moving. It stopped before he reached it, but he didn't hesitate this time. He simply knocked it over, but there was nothing under it but another tunnel opening.  
  
"This is most annoying," He muttered cleaning one paw. He then calmly left saying "I shall have to get him later." Down in the tunnels, Hamtaro and Maxwell helped Stan up from the ground. Maxwell put Boss's shovel down to do so. Since Hamtaro was tired from bring Laura to the clubhouse, he couldn't safely help Travis on the outside. So instead, he and Maxwell made a second opening in a tunnel roof with Boss's shovel, allowing Stan to get to safety. A short time later the Ham-hams returned to the clubhouse to find that Bijou and Sandy had helped Laura calm down. She was now sitting despondently at the table with her head in her paws.  
  
"We're back!" Hamtaro said cheerfully. Travis walked in after him with his head bowed. He looked up just as Laura looked over, and the two human turned hamster's eyes meet.  
  
"Travis?" she asked confused.  
  
"Wha? How... I mean... I don't know who you're talking about," He said surprised she could recognize him.  
  
"It is you, I recognize your voice," Laura said standing up. "What happened to you?"  
  
"See, I told you dudes that he had something to do with this!" Stan said walking in with the rest.  
  
"I can explain," He said as all eyes turned to him. 


	3. Chapter three: On fun, romance, and pris...

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro. I do own Lunette and Snuff, and I own three cents in change. (I am so broke!)  
  
A/N: I'm sorry I don't update more often, but I am doing two fics at once, plus I have an English paper due. Thank you Chibi jewel, Kathleen, and Lauren for reviewing. Your suggestions helped greatly. OK so let's get on with the story. Oh yeah, this will be H+B, L+T, and one pairing I have never seen before till now! (See if you can catch it!)  
  
Innocent Kiss Chapter three: On fun, romance, and prison escapes  
  
As the ham-hams stared at him, Travis cleared his throat. "Ok, here's what happened to me..." he said. He then proceeded to tell them all about the night he walked home and came to the aid of a field hamster. He then told them about early that morning when he took Lunette to the vet, and how he changed after bumping into Laura in the park. The Ham-hams nodded as he explained to them about Lunette's brief explanation on magic and her relationship with the cat, and how she believed that being caught between two different spells gave him some magical ability, which he had no idea how to use. "So there you have it. How I ended up here. The rest you know."  
  
"So there is a way to change back into a human again?" Laura asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure, there might be. We just have to wait for Lunette to get better and talk to her tomorrow," Travis answered.  
  
"You know this is just like a story I once read," Maxwell reminisced.  
  
"I think this has all the makings of a great adventure," Hamtaro said. "But what will we do till tonight?"  
  
"And what about Kana? She is going to be so worried about me," Laura glumly said.  
  
"Cheer up. We'll think of something to tell your family and her that you're all right," Travis said walking over and sitting next to Laura. The brown hamster gave him a soft smile that he returned. The other Ham-hams were deep in thought about what they needed to do next, but two of them noticed the looks that Laura and Travis were giving each other.  
  
(What's up with those two?) Stan thought looking back and forth between the two of them. The other person who noticed just gently nodded. As the others pondered the possibilities, the door was opened and four more hamsters entered.  
  
One was a boy hamster with black fur on his ears, around his eyes, and on his back and arms; the rest of his fur was white. The second was a girl hamster with tan fur framing her face and down her back. She had a white underside and was wearing a pink scarf around her neck. The next was a smaller, younger female hamster wearing a yellow blanket the covered everything but her ears, eyes and feet. Her ears were covered in brown fur. The last was a boy light brown fur covering the upper half of his head and down to mid-back. He had squinty eyes and was wearing a red apron. He had white fur everywhere else. The hamster in the apron was talking to both the one in the scarf and the one wearing a blanket. The black and white hamster followed behind shaking his head at something that was said.  
  
"Pashmina, I'm so glad you arrived today!" Dexter exclaimed standing up and hurrying over to the ham girl in the pink scarf. "You're looking as lovely as ever," he said taking her paw in his own.  
  
"And hello to you Dexter," she responded cordiality.  
  
"And just what do you think you are doing? Hmmm?" The squinty-eyed hamster questioned in a southern accent. He forcibly separated the two by pulling Dexter back a few steps.  
  
"I was just greeting Pashmina the way a lady should be greeted, Howdy," The bow-tie wearing hamster said looking back at him. He shrugged Howdy's paws off and reached out to grasp Pashmina's paw again. But as he did he realized he was holding the smaller hamster's paw instead.  
  
"See Penelope, this is how a gentle ham greets a lady. Now curtsy to say thank you," Pashmina told her blanket-wearing chum.  
  
"Ookwee!" the young ham-ham exclaimed curtsying. Both she and Pashmina walked around Dexter who looked a bit put out.  
  
"Thanks for the lesson in manners Dexter," Pashmina said cheerfully behind her.  
  
"Anytime," he mumbled. "And don't you say a word!" he angrily grumbled to a grinning Howdy.  
  
"Hey, is anyone going to greet me?" Asked the black and white hamster.  
  
"Hamha, Panda," Boss said walking up to the door. "You three need to join the table. There's a lot going on and we need your input."  
  
"Is it on something financial? Cause I have my trusty abacas right here," Howdy said with a smile.  
  
"Not quite," Boss said. But before he could go into detail, Pashmina's voice cried out.  
  
"Oh hello. I haven't seen you two before," she said to Travis and Laura. "Are you new to the neighborhood?  
  
"Sort of," Travis said. "We both experienced a life changing event and ended up here."  
  
"Oh dear was it bad?" She asked sitting next to Sandy and Maxwell. Penelope sat next to Bijou and Hamtaro.  
  
"Oh, I don't know yet," Laura giggling nervously. Travis held her left paw and she glanced at him. He gave a small comforting smile, and she calmed down somewhat.  
  
"So are you two an item or something?" Howdy asked walking up behind them.  
  
"N.no. We're just friends," Laura said blushing. Travis also blushed and let go of her paw.  
  
"So what are your names?" Panda asked. The two introduced themselves. After that the discussion got back to the topic at ha. err. paw, what to do with the day. Each ham-ham had an idea on what to do, but Bijou's suggestion of showing Laura and Travis the amusement park won out over the other suggestions.  
  
"You'll love it, Laura," Hamtaro said running ahead of the brown hamster. Laura followed still unsure of surroundings, but feeling a bit calmer. At least she wasn't in this mess alone.  
  
(Travis makes a very cute hamster,) she thought. (Wait. Why doesn't that feel wrong? And why am I not worried about it?) Before she could dive deeper in her thoughts, they had arrived. Hamtaro, Penelope, and Cappy were the first ones who passed under the entry arch. Laura and Travis paused to stare in awe at the site before them.  
  
"It takes you breath away the first time doesn't it?" Pashmina asked.  
  
"And we built it ourselves. Ain't it grand?" Howdy asked. Travis and Lara both silently nodded. The glanced at each other, then ran inside. Circumstances notwithstanding, they were going to have fun. They both tried several rides spurned on by their new ham-ham friends. As the hamsters played, Bijou sought out Hamtaro. The orange and white furred hamster was laughing and talking with Howdy and Cappy, the latter was munching on a sunflower seed.  
  
"Um. Hamtaro, can I ask you an important question?" she nervously asked.  
  
"Heke?" he asked confused.  
  
"Could. could you. ride on the swings with me?" she asked blushing.  
  
"Of course. Anything for you Bijou," Hamtaro said with a cheerful smile. He hopped up from his seat and escorted the elegant white hamster toward the ride. Howdy and Cappy exchanged glances.  
  
"Isn't this interesting," Howdy mused.  
  
"Um. should we tell Boss about this?" Cappy apprehensively suggested.  
  
"Let the big guy find out for himself. After all he's liable to bury the messenger," Howdy responded. "'Sides, we should be more worried about Hamtaro than Boss. That poor boy has no clue."  
  
Laura had dragged Travis to the Ferris wheel, being too afraid to try the gigantic slide. Maxwell and Sandy watched from their gondola as Travis and Laura got in one of their own.  
  
"Did you notice anything about those two, Maxwell?" Sandy said with a twinkle in her eye.  
  
"That they seem to be very good friends?" Maxwell answered his girl-ham.  
  
(Sigh. Sometimes for all of your intelligence you miss the most obvious things,) she thought shaking her head. "Yes that is true, but I was thinking more on the lines that they totally like each other. If you get my meaning."  
  
"Oh! Now I see. That is nice," Maxwell said smiling. His smiled turned to quiet laughter as he saw both Howdy and Dexter arguing to see which one of them would ride with Pashmina. However, they were both unaware that she had gotten on with Cappy, who happened to be walking by. They glanced back only to see the object of their affections had left with out them.  
  
"This is all your fault!" they yelled at each other. But before they could really get in to it, Penelope ran over and grabbed Dexter's paw and pulled him into the last gondola.  
  
"Well, would ya look at that? I'm all by my lonesome," Howdy mumbled. Panda walked up and patted him on the back.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll hang out with you!" he cheerfully exclaimed.  
  
"It's not the same!" The tan and white hamster wailed. "It's not fair. I tells ya, it's not fair."  
  
"Um.ok. Why don't we go over here," Panda gently said, leading Howdy away. Laura watched in silence as the world moved beneath her. She turned and glanced at Travis who was in quiet contemplation of the situation  
  
How can he be so calm at a time like this?) She thought. (I mean his life has changed drastically.) "How come your so calm about this? We could be stuck like this for the rest of our lives!" Laura asked out loud.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe because I might have a way back, or maybe I just don't think about it. Or maybe." he answered.  
  
"Or maybe. what?" she asked softly looking into his eyes.  
  
"Maybe because I'm not alone," he whispered. Their gazes were locked; each lost in the other's deep eyes. Suddenly the cart gently stopped. They both broke off, embarrassed. Travis got off first, and Laura quietly followed. As they got off Stan was waiting for them.  
  
"Yo! Boss man wants to talk to everyone by the big oak. It's getting dark, and we need to know how to get to the vet," the tiger striped hamster informed them. They both nodded and headed there as Stan waited to tell the other riders. A short time later all of the ham-hams were waiting for Boss to speak.  
  
"Everyone's here?" he asked. Getting an affirmative response, he nodded. "Ok, I think we should start by filling those in who weren't here this morning." Boss explained both Travis and Laura's story to Panda, Cappy, Pashmina and Penelope. The four ham-hams were shocked, scared, and outraged at the events that had happened.  
  
"I'm glad you're all with me," Travis said. "Now come on let's go to the animal hospital!" Everyone cheered and they set off. By the time they arrived night had fallen.  
  
"Err. a problem. Except for the emergency room, the rest of the building is closed," said Laura looking around.  
  
"So how do we get in?" Bijou asked. As the others thought about this, the sound of a guitar could be heard cutting into the evening air.  
  
"Could it be?" Hamtaro asked no one in particular. 


	4. Chapter four: On magic and music

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro. I do own Lunette and Snuff, and I own a pair of sandals.  
  
A/N: It's time again. Sorry for the wait, but my other story hit a snafu and it took me awhile to finish. But enough on that.  
  
(: Telepathy :)  
  
Innocent Kiss Chapter four: On magic and music  
  
"It is! Jingle what are you doing here?" Hamtaro asked. Jingle was a wandering poet and musician. The hamster had peach fur down his back, a dark brown Mohawk, a white underbelly and wore a red guitar strapped to his back.  
  
"I am where I am, and I never know where I'm going, Hamtossle," The rhyming rodent said as he finished rounding the corner of the building.  
  
"It's Hamtaro!" The orange and white hamster exclaimed, slightly exasperated.  
  
"I see you altered your name again. But wouldn't be easier if you let yourself roam free?" He said.  
  
"Heke?" Hamtaro responded confused.  
  
"Look, do you know a way inside?" Travis asked. The peach hamster didn't answer right away. He first strummed his guitar and thought.  
  
"The way and the wave, the wind blows through the cave," he said turning and slowing walking back in the direction he came in.  
  
"What does that mean?" Laura asked confused. She looked around at the others, whose faces mirrored her own confusion.  
  
"Perhaps we should just follow him. He might show us a way in," Panda said. The others nodded and they chased the poetic hamster. Following him, they arrived at the back of the building.  
  
"Why didn't I think of that? This place has an emergency room!" Laura exclaimed. The ham-hams where standing in front of a pair of large double doors.  
  
Boss examined the doors then said, "If we all push together we can open the door." Everyone lined up, and on the count of three pushed with all of his or her strength. At first nothing happened, then the door slowly moved forward. When it had opened wide enough, everyone rushed though. Boss, the last one through, almost got stuck in the door. When everyone was safely inside, the Ham-hams had time to look around. They were in a large empty waiting room. Seats lined three of the four walls. Tables were scattered here and there, with magazines placed on top. Leading to the back rooms was another set of double doors. The ham-hams noticed that the room was luckily empty. Scampering across the tile floor they made it to the doors with no problem.  
  
"OK everyone, there are a bunch of rooms back there. It will take too much time to search them one by one. so let's split up," Travis suggested.  
  
"That's a good idea kid. Everyone find a partner, we'll do this in groups of two," Boss said placing both paws on his shovel. "So choose a someone as I point to you." He randomly pointed at Panda first.  
  
"I choose Hamtaro," He said. Bijou quietly pouted near the back as Hamtaro walked next to him. Next he pointed to Stan.  
  
"Sandy, Bossman," Stan said suavely. Sandy glanced over to Maxwell then shrugged. She moved over to her twin brother's side. Deter and Howdy breathed a sigh of relief at Stan's choice. They thought he might have asked Pashmina to join him. Next to chose was Bijou.  
  
(If I cannot spend time with Hamtaro, then I will spend sometime with my best friend,) "I chose Pashmina," she said softly. Boss sighed, and then pointed to Laura.  
  
"Travis!" she squeaked out. Apparently she was still unsure of her situation. Travis gazed at her evenly, then strolled over.  
  
"Ok Maxwell you're next." Boss said. The book-loving hamster looked at his remaining choices, Boss, Cappy, Penelope, Howdy or Dexter.  
  
(Wait, what happened to Jingle? He must have wandered off again. Oh well. Here goes.) "Penelope do you want to come with me?" He asked the youngest ham-ham. She cheerfully hopped over to his side and smiled up at him.  
  
"Now let's see, Cappy you're next," Boss said. As soon as he got the words out of his mouth, Cappy shouted out.  
  
"Boss! I want you to join me!" He then looked down and laughed nervously at his own enthusiasm.  
  
"Well I guess you and Howdy are partners by default," Boss said to Dexter.  
  
"What!" They both exclaimed. "Me work with him? Never!" But their cries fell on deaf ears as everyone had gathered around Travis. The new ham-ham gave a brief description of Lunette, and they all split up with their respective partners.  
  
"Ok Ham-hams we will meet up here in and hour," Boss said as they parted.  
  
Hamtaro and Panda ended up in the storage closet. The two hamsters looked around the place in awe, wondering what all of the things were used for.  
  
"Follow me!" Hamtaro exclaimed as he climbed up the side of a counter.  
  
"Hamtaro, I think we should be careful and not touch anything," Panda cautiously said as joined him.  
  
"Oh Panda, where's you sense of adventure? I mean look at all of this stuff!" He said as he moved over to a container of gaze. The orange and white rodent jumped up and looked in to the glass container. "Hey, you have got to see this." Panda jumped up and looked in as well.  
  
"Hey I bet we could use some of this as padding," He mused thoughtfully. A container of long cotton swabs caught his eyes. He jumped down, almost tipping the container over in his haste to get to the other one. "I can think of a thousand uses for these. Lend me a paw here!" Hamtaro shrugged and joined him in scavenging supplies. Penelope and Maxwell had found the ER and Maxwell was trying to remember if had seen anything like it in a book.  
  
"Penelope, don't wander off. Sandy and Pashmina would kill me if something happened to you." He said distractedly. Of course Penelope wasn't listening. She was already climbing an adjustable table. "Penelope?" Maxwell asked when he noticed she hadn't responded. The tall brown and white hamster panicked for a moment when he finally spotted her. He rushed over and called up to her, "Penelope, would you get down from there, it's not safe!"  
  
She looked down at him and gave him a cheerful cry, before slowly making her way back down. About mid way down she missed a paw hold and slipped. Maxwell put his book on his back and dashed up to help her. He was just in time to save her from falling.  
  
"This is way should wait before you run off, Penelope. But I'm glad your ok!" He exclaimed not to unkindly. With his help they managed to reach the top of the bed. (I don't see any cages. Maybe we got the wrong room.) He thought. "Penelope I think we should look somewhere else."  
  
"Ookyoo," she said sadly. Both Hamsters made there way back down and continued their search. Bijou and Pashmina weren't having any more luck in their explorations. Both Ham girls had reached the front lobby and they were a bit intimidated by the large, dark empty room.  
  
"Maybe she isn't here?" Pashmina suggested concerned.  
  
"Maybe. but we have to check anyway. I mean it wouldn't be fair to the others if we didn't do our part, no?" The pig-tailed hamster answered.  
  
"When you're right, you're right Bijou," she said walking into the room. Dark objects loomed over both of them, and the shadows danced under the shifting light from outside of the blind covered windows. "Still, it is kind of spooky in here." She tightened her scarf and walked a little closer to her friend.  
  
"Perhaps a bit of light will well help," Bijou said pointing to lamp that was sitting on a small table. She scurried up to the light source and shortly the room was lit. When the shadows were chased away the room was actually quite homey. The room was painted in soft pastels and was rather relaxing, till you thought about its purpose. However the light also showed them that the hamster they were looking for wasn't present.  
  
"Well it looks like we have to search somewhere else," Pashmina said. "But maybe we should paint the clubhouse like this."  
  
Bijou giggled then responded, "I agree. So I guess something good can come out of what may look like a bad situation?" Pashmina nodded and the two friends left discussing décor. In another dark room, Sandy was confronting her brother Stan about what he wanted.  
  
"Ok Bro, spill. I'm sure that you asked me along for some reason," She said to his back. He was being unusually quiet as they searched.  
  
"Did you notice those two?" He suddenly asked.  
  
"You mean Travis and Laura?" She asked thoughtfully.  
  
"Yes, those two," Stan replied. He glanced around to take note of where he and his twin sister were located. The tiger striped hamsters were in the garage of the hospital and both of them had stopped underneath a mini-van. "Did you notice the way they kept glancing at each other? I 'know' the totally dig each other," he said with a smirk.  
  
"Stan, are you planning some mischief? Because if you are. I want in," Sandy said with a mischievous smile.  
  
"Well I have a few ideas on how we can hook them up, but I need you help," he said in a conspiratorial whisper. She leaned in closer as he quietly filled her in. While the other ham-hams had avoided any contact with the staff, Boss and Cappy weren't so lucky. Both of the hat-wearing hamsters found themselves hiding in the records room. Boss gestured for Cappy to follow him, and then he dashed toward a desk in the middle of the room. Cappy checked, and noticed that the night secretary wasn't facing in his direction. He quickly scampered and stopped behind Boss who was watching from around a table leg.  
  
-Hif-Hif- "Harrumph. I don't smell a single hamster," Boss said.  
  
"Do you think that Travis made a mistake?" Cappy asked.  
  
"No I don't think he did. we might have just made a wrong turn," he suggested scratching his head. The large black and white hamster readjusted his hard hat, shouldered his shovel and headed for the next hiding place. Cappy looked around then followed his hero. Just as they left the desk, the women turned and place some papers on it. Both hamsters didn't see the near miss however. Now out of all of the ham-hams, Howdy and Dexter were the luckiest. Of course they didn't see it that way. They both happened to stumble upon the recovery room, which was filled with sleeping pets. The cages were sturdy and the animals inside couldn't get out, which was good for both of the hamsters, as some of the patents wouldn't have minded having them for a late night snack. Also, due to an earlier argument, they weren't speaking to each other, so they didn't wake any of the slumbering animals up. They quietly searched the room and found the object of their search. Lunette was fast asleep, but woke up when she heard Dexter quietly call her name. She trained her pink eyes on them as she woke up with a soft yawn.  
  
"Who are you?" she sleepily asked.  
  
"Good evening. I'm Dexter, and this is Howdy. Might we ask if you happen to be named Lunette?" He politely asked.  
  
"Newsflash, if she woke up because you said her name, then we have the right hamster," Howdy commented.  
  
"I know that! But we should ask anyway to be sure!" Dexter exclaimed.  
  
"Hold on you two! If you make too much noise you'll wake the other patents. Now why are you looking for me?" Lunette broke in.  
  
"Well it's not us, but a boy name Travis. Your owner right?" Howdy said.  
  
"Travis? He's here? Could you take me to meet him?" She asked. "You can undo the gate from out there." It took them a moment for them to find out how to open the latch, but they succeed. Lunette paced out, and together they headed for the meeting place. Maxwell and Penelope were waiting on them, and the rest showed up in short order. The last to show up were Travis and Laura, and when they others asked where they were they explained that they had checked out all of the examining rooms. Lunette looked at each of the ham-hams curiously as the introduced themselves. Her gaze stopped when she noticed Travis standing before her. "You came early!" She cheerfully exclaimed running over to him. "Wait, why are you a hamster again?"  
  
"I'm not sure, and that's why I need your help," He asked her. The assembly moved to one of the empty examining rooms. Travis and Laura explained what happened since she left them. She thought for a moment then spoke.  
  
"Well in your case Travis, you changed yourself. See magic is triggered by emotion. To access your talent, you have to tap into one strong emotion. Pride, courage, despair, hope, love, anger, and even fear can all be used. When you use that emotion the power rises to the surface. Then its up to your mind on how you use it. When you tried to change yourself and failed, the frustration activated you magic. And since the last thing you wanted to do was to change, it happened after you wanted it to. I suggest you determine what you want your trigger to be before another accident happens."  
  
"So can you change me back?" Laura asked timidly.  
  
The grey and white hamster examined her. "I don't know. Unlike Travis I wasn't there to run interference, so I might not be able to do it alone."  
  
"So you mean I'm stuck this way forever?" She asked frightened.  
  
"Not necessarily. Travis could you come here for a moment," Lunette answered. He plodded over and she took his paw. She looked deeply at it, and then smiled. "It can be done! But first, I need a volunteer." All of the Ham-hams exchanged dubious looks, but before anyone could react, the sound of a guitar surprised them. Jingle walked up behind the waiting group.  
  
"The night is fair, and so is the air. And I find myself wondering, just what is over here? Greetings, and what are all of you doing here?" He said in his musical voice.  
  
"Thank you! You will do nicely!" Lunette exclaimed dashing over to him. She dragged Travis over as well. "Travis, we're going to do some harmonious magic here. I need you to put one paw on this guy's arm, and I'll do the same for the other. Then we'll link our thoughts, and he should float off the ground."  
  
"Really!" Everyone exclaimed. The fedora-wearing hamster nodded with a smile.  
  
"How is supposed to link thoughts with ya?" Boss asked curiously.  
  
"He." She started to answer, but suddenly stopped when she finally really noticed Boss. A blush stole across her face, and then she quickly blurted the rest out. ".Just needs to relax and I'll handle the rest!" Jingle attempted to walk away, but she grabbed his arm with an iron grip. Still blushing she reached out and grabbed Travis's paw. "Now grab hold and relax!" Travis shrugged, grabbed Jingle's other arm and then thought of his last math lesson. The memory of the lecture almost put him to sleep. But before that could happen, he felt the familiar warmth that indicated the use of magic. He opened his drooping eyes wide and glanced down at his paws. A halo of white light surrounded both of them.  
  
(Wow!) He thought as the white light spread across Jingle who was looking very confused.  
  
(: It's pretty cool isn't it? :) Lunette said in his mind. (: Now sit back and pay attention to what I do! :) Travis nodded and focused on Lunette's thoughts. "Words don't need to be said, but they can help to control your thoughts." Travis felt her thoughts focus on making Jingle weightless and fly high as the blue sky. He saw Jingle's red guitar float slowly up in the air. Just as Travis felt the spell was about to set on Jingle, he felt Lunette's mind wander for a second. There was a weak flash, and instead of Jingle floating to the blue sky, his fur just turned blue. All present started at Lunette, who blushed again. "Whoops! My mind wandered!" She waved a paw in Jingle's direction, and his fur returned back to its normal colors. "As you can see, what ever a mage or sorcerer does, they themselves can always easily undo it. However it's hard to undo what another magic user has done unless you happen to be present at the spell's casting."  
  
"So you mean." Travis murmured. He waved a paw in Jingle's direction and the hamster turned blue again. Jingle looked as his new fur color, blinked, and then shrugged.  
  
"It occurs to me that I appear to be going though a blue phase," He said as turned to walk away. Travis changed him back as he took his leave.  
  
"So that's it. Hey, I think I can change myself back!" Travis exclaimed.  
  
"So what was the emotion you used to do that?" Sandy slyly asked.  
  
"I don't want to say, it's embarrassing," Travis coughed out.  
  
"Now that you got the hang of it, let's change you friend," Lunette said. Travis nodded. Both of them approached Laura who backed up a step, nervous.  
  
"Um. are you sure about this?" She asked.  
  
"Don't worry! Everything is under control!" Lunette said.  
  
"Well, will you be able to make my clothing come back as well?" Laura asked. Travis stopped, and then mentally cursed.  
  
"Lunette, wait! She's right! We can't change her back now! We'll have to wait until the morning," He said.  
  
"Heke?" Lunette said momentarily confused. Then she got what he was saying and nodded in understanding. "Well we can try later, but the longer we wait the more it will take out of both of us. If that is you decision, I'll wait for you to fetch me tomorrow morning!" She waved at them all and sped off. The ham-hams watched her go.  
  
"Well now what?" Panda asked.  
  
"Well, I'll go home, and call Laura's parents saying that she is with me. Then I can get her clothing tomorrow, and we can do the change thing," Travis said.  
  
"That sounds like a plan," Maxwell musingly.  
  
"Then I suggest we go home then," Pashmina said. "It's getting late!" With that the Ham-hams left the way they came, and dispersed. Hamtaro gave his friend a good luck hug and wished her well till the morning.  
  
So that left both Travis and Laura, who both walked back to his house in silence. 


	5. Chapter five: On magecraft and Sorcery

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, but I do own the plot of this story and Lunette and Snuff.  
  
A/N: Again, School has started and so that really slowed me down. Thanks to Katy-chan, Jade Stellar, Specularia whose kind reviews kept me going! And now...  
  
Innocent Kiss Chapter five: On mage craft and Sorcery  
  
Morning arrived and Travis stretched out and yawned. The young boy was human and home again, but his problems weren't over yet, not by a long shot. He still had to get Laura back home as well. Currently she was sleeping in Lunette's new cage. He shook his head on how everything was turning out. Getting up and dressed before Laura woke up, he gently tapped on the cage's roof. Laura sleepily turned over and rolling his eyes, he tapped on the cage roof again. Now if Hamtaro were there, he would have told Travis that it sometimes took Laura quite a while to wake up, sometimes causing her to be late. This morning the human turned hamster woke up with the second summons. She looked around surprised and confused, not knowing where she was until it all came back to her. She sighed and shook her head at the irony as Travis gently took her out of her cage, and put her in the new carrier he just got. He set out back to the animal hospital.  
  
"Don't worry about a thing. When we get Lunette we can go to the clubhouse and see what we can do about changing you back," Travis encouraged cheerfully.  
  
(How can he be so cheerful? I guess it's because he has a way of staying human,) Laura thought slightly depressed. Whistling a cheerful tune he arrived at the hospital and confidently stopped in front of the receptionist desk.  
  
"Hi! I'm here to pick up a hamster named Lunette," He said to the young man behind the counter. He was asked to provide a bit of ID, then he was told to wait. About five minutes later, he was called to the front counter. He was lead back to where his hamster was kept, and it only took the work of a moment to transfer her to the same carrier he was carrying Laura in. The newly arrived hamster was surprised to see Laura so soon, but quickly got over it.  
  
"So Travis took you with him?" she asked as soon as she got over her shock.  
  
The brown hamster nodded then said, "I guess he didn't want to backtrack. So are you going to change me back today?"  
  
"That's the plan! Unless something comes up, you should back to your old self by the end of the day."  
  
"That's a relief as we have school tomorrow. Have you solved the small problem about me not having clothing?"  
  
"Not quite yet." the sliver hamster answered nervously. -Kushi-Kushi- She nervously cleaned her fur. "But I'm working on it. At this time they had arrived back at Travis's home. The boy had to drop off the carrier since he couldn't just leave it in the park. Going up to his room he opened the door and both Laura and Lunette scampered out.  
  
"I'll meet you two outside," he said leaving the room. Traveling out and around his house, he stopped in his backyard. After making sure no one was watching he concentrated and with a warm flash, he changed himself, clothing and all, into a hamster. (Getting better. but why am I not sure if that is a good thing are bad thing?) Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't hear the girls coming.  
  
"We're ready to go!" Lunette cheerfully exclaimed. So with that they headed out to the clubhouse. With Travis leading, it didn't take them anytime at all to reach their second destination. The three hamsters entered the tunnels under the park. -Ticky-Ticky- Lunette looked around curiously. She had never been here before and was somewhat impressed with the tunnel system.  
  
"Do you know who made all of this?" She asked.  
  
"I believe Boss did," Travis answered still a bit lost in thought.  
  
"Wow, he must be very strong to be able to do all of this," she said admiringly. (I thought he was cute last night, but I didn't know he knew how do things like these tunnels.)  
  
"Did he make the clubhouse too?" Laura asked also thinking about the large field hamster in a new light.  
  
"I don't know. We can ask him when we get inside," Travis responded as the reached the wooden door to the clubhouse. Just as he was about to open the door it swung open startling all three of them. Inside of the doorframe was a large, mottled, grey and white hamster. He had a grey patch on his right ear, and matching patches on his nose, on his cheeks and on his legs. He was carrying a sunflower seed and was talking to someone just over his shoulder.  
  
"...Don't think it's out here but I'll check anyway," he was saying. Turning he noticed the three newcomers and jumped back in shock. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"  
  
"Whoa, Whoa! Calm down big fellow," Travis said to the almost panicking hamster.  
  
"Oxnard? You're here too?" Laura asked recognizing her best friend's pet.  
  
"Heke? Do I know you? You seem to know me," Sunflower seed carrying rodent asked.  
  
"Well, if you would let us come inside, we could explain everything," Lunette kindly said.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Hey everyone we have guests!" He shouted walking back inside. The other three shrugged and followed him inside. All of the ham- hams were present and looked up from their morning activities to see the three newest ham-hams entering the room.  
  
"Laura!" Hamtaro exclaimed breaking from a checkers game with Cappy and running over to greet his owner and best friend. "How was your night away from home? I was worried about you."  
  
Laura gave her friend a small smile, touched by his concern. "I was fine. Travis was a perfect gentleman."  
  
"So you had the young lady all to yourself? Pretty slick there my man," Stan slyly said as he walked up the group. Travis blushed and was about to respond, when Oxnard spoke up confused.  
  
"Um... Hamtaro, did your owner buy another hamster named after herself?" He asked looking back and forth between Hamtaro and Laura.  
  
"Oxy that is Laura. A sorcerer changed her into a hamster," Hamtaro answered his best friend. The larger hamster nodded, seemingly calm, then he completely freaked out.  
  
"HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?" He shouted.  
  
"Well, see it goes like this... " Lunette said, grabbing his right paw and leading him over to the table. While she explained, Laura took a better look around. The last time she was here she was slightly panicky, plus this might be the last time she could see it as she was going to be changed back today. Shortly everyone ended up around the table. It was time to get to work.  
  
"Now that everyone is up to speed, let's discuss what we are going to do today," Boss said in his gruff voice.  
  
"Well, like I said last night, I think I can change Laura back. But I need Travis's help and I need to do some research to overcome that one little problem," Lunette said. "I should be ready by noon."  
  
"Why don't we just use the clothing Laura left behind?" Hamtaro asked.  
  
"But my parents or Kana would have noticed it as you left it in the front yard," Laura commented.  
  
"Not if Brandy moved it into his dog house," Hamtaro said.  
  
"That was rather clever of him," Maxwell said.  
  
"So, I guess we can change Laura back as soon as we get to your house Hamtaro," Pashmina suggested.  
  
"Why didn't you mention that last night?" Howdy asked.  
  
"I didn't think of it until I came home last night," Hamtaro said rubbing the back of his head nervously.  
  
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Stan exclaimed. With that they all rushed to Hamtaro and Laura's house. The Ham-hams arrived in a short amount of time. When everyone cleared the tunnel Panda spoke up.  
  
"So now that we're here, what do we do?" He asked.  
  
"Follow me!" Hamtaro exclaimed. The orange and white hamster ran over to Brandy's doghouse and jumped on top of the dog's head. Brandy sleepy opened his eyes and looked at the hamsters that had gathered in front of him. "Brandy do you remember what you did with Laura's clothing yesterday?" Hamtaro received a massive yawn, which cause him to tumble off of Brandy's head. Brandy blinked and stretched as he stood up. The brown and white dog plodded over and looked down at Laura, who took a step back. The small dog sniffed her once, and then gave her a huge lick that bowled her over.  
  
"It's nice to see you too," She said once she righted herself. The dog barked once then turned back inside of his wooden home. Using his teeth he quickly carried out all of Laura's clothing. "Well they're a little ruffed up, but they'll do." She said after examining them. "So now what?"  
  
"Now turn you back to the way you were," Lunette said determined. "Laura stand inside of your shirt, and Travis stand next to me," she ordered. The other two complied, and she nodded when she saw they were both in position. "Alrighty! Travis, let's begin." Travis wordlessly took her right paw and placed his left on Laura's clothing covered head. Shortly both Lunette and Travis started to glow white. And like the last time with Jingle, the glow transferred to Laura. But unlike last time, the glow started to change to the color black. Travis and Lunette both looked like they were struggling to continue. The glow intensified, then in a flash Laura was back to being human. But both Travis and Lunette were out of it... The now human girl slowly kneeled making sure the dizzy hamsters didn't fall off her stomach by picking them both up.  
  
"Well I'm back, but why do I feel so tired?" She said looking down at the rest of the ham-hams. Of course she couldn't understand any of the comments they sent her way now that she was human. "Never mind... Listen I'll see you guys later, because right now I just remember I was going out with Kana before all of this happened. Can you take care of Travis and Lunette?" She asked placing them both down in front of the ham-hams. Boss nodded to her and Hamtaro waved her off. The brown haired girl gave them a thankful smile, and then raced off into her house. Just before the ham-hams left, she looked back out and said, "Oh yeah, Hamtaro, don't forget to be in before sunset, I don't want anything to happen to you!"  
  
"Alright," Hamtaro answered back, a bit worriedly. (I hope she doesn't restrict me going to the clubhouse. I'm not sure what I would do then.)  
  
"Hey could you give me a hand here!" Boss shouted picking up a dazed Travis. With a muttered apology, Hamtaro ran over and helped the hardhat wearing hamster. The ham-hams departed for the clubhouse while indoors, Laura changed her outfit, and made a phone call to her best friend. The fifth grader had a story to tell.  
  
Fifteen minters Travis woke up on the top of a shredded pile of newspapers. He was momentarily disoriented. Then he remembered what happened. His face registered shock, and he rushed out of one of the back rooms of the clubhouse to look around. The first thing he noticed was that Lunette was awake, and currently staring at Boss from a corner of the room, blushing heavily. Both Sandy and Bijou were trying to encourage her to say something to him, but she was just too shy.  
  
"Come on girlfriend, just said good afternoon and go on from there," Sandy said.  
  
"But what if I say something stupid? I'm good when it comes to magic, but in everything else I'm get all confounded," the poncho-wearing hamster said.  
  
"Do not worry, it will be OK. Just follow your heart," The elegant French hamster said.  
  
"Bijou's right. If you follow your heart things will work out," Pashmina said, coming into the conversation.  
  
"Ookyoo," Penelope said from her friend's side.  
  
"Your all right! I'll do it! I'll have courage and I'll go talk to him... one day," she whispered the last part. The other four ham-girls blinked, then face faulted. Picking themselves up, they were about to say some more things, but at that time Travis arrived. "Oh your awake!" Lunette exclaimed. "Now we can discuss that 'problem'."  
  
"What are you talking about," Pashmina asked. The pink scarf-wearing hamster was confused. She, like the rest of the ham-hams thought all of their current problems were solved.  
  
"We couldn't permanently change Laura back... and we need to find a way soon or we won't ever be able to change her back. Her curse is stronger then mine was and it didn't help that it took us so long to counter it," Travis said with a serious expression.  
  
"What! You're kidding right?" Dexter asked entering in on the discussion.  
  
"Nope. That's what caused us to collapse earlier." Lunette said. "But luckily, I may have a solution!" She pulled off her hat, and placing a paw inside, she searched around for something. After a few moments, she found what she was looking for. Pulling her paw out, she showed them a black covered book. It was unremarkable, save from the gold type on the cover. "This is the most powerful book of magic in the hamster world, The Magus, so there must be an answer in here."  
  
"Like wow, how did you do that?" Sandy asked in awe.  
  
"Well, there are three types of magic, change, control, create, in the order of the most powerful, to the least. This was a demonstration of create magic. I just made a small storage space in my hat, which I can pull anything I put in, back out. Travis is a demonstration of change magic, and for control." She let go of her hat, and it flew back to the top of her head on its own, landing perfectly.  
  
"Very good!" Bijou exclaimed clapping her paws.  
  
"So what's the difference?" Maxwell asked, overhearing the last part.  
  
"A Change spell alters things from what they are, so it's the most draining. The more drastic the change spell, the more powerful the magic. Control can only do just that. Using it you can only push things to their natural limits. So I could cause you to run into a wall, but that's only because you could have done it on your own power. And lastly a create spell just makes something. But once you make it, it exists apart from you, so you have to be careful. Also the bigger the thing you create or the greater the number of it, the more draining it is. There are spells that cross categories, but most of the big ones are just in one." The sliver- grey hamster explained adjusting her hat.  
  
"That's very interesting," Boss said, commenting on her little speech. Lunette blushed heavily again when she realized all of the Ham- hams had stopped to listen to her. She grabbed Maxwell and motioned for Travis to follow as she quickly moved off. A group 'heke' sounded at her surprising behavior.  
  
"I need to talk to you. I have a favor to ask," She said to the book- loving hamster.  
  
"What can I do for you?" Maxwell asked amiably.  
  
"I need your help translating some of this book... I can't read all of it..." Lunette asked.  
  
"So what about me?" Travis asked confused.  
  
"I need to teach you more then the basics, and this is the perfect time to do it..." She answered. The girls had explained to the others what Lunette said about the change being temporary so the other ham-hams didn't disturb the three in their work. About an hour later, Panda was pulled in and they commandeered the chalkboard. Thirty minters later, Maxwell had pulled some key books from his library, and Travis had left and returned with some paper. Part of the clubhouse had books, papers and writing material lying around. On the chalkboard a complicated diagram was drawn, with calculations and incantations written on it.  
  
"Hey I think that this will work!" Panda exclaimed.  
  
"Maxwell nodded then said, "Everything checks out, so now the only thing to do is test the theory. Travis, could you take Hamtaro and get Laura? According to what Lunette has told us, she should change back anytime now. The black hamster nodded and was about to leave, when the door to the clubhouse was kicked in. A furious Laura was standing there.  
  
"HEY! WHAT WAS THE BIG IDEA NOT TELLING ME THAT I WOULD CHANGE INTO A HAMSTER AGAIN!?" She shouted as she stomped over to Lunette, eyes flashing with lighting.  
  
-Kushi-Kushi- "Um... -Kushi-Kushi- I didn't know until we actually tried... -Kushi-Kushi- after that I was out cold... -Kushi-Kushi- and then I couldn't tell you because humans can't understand us... -Kushi-Kushi- and I had to find a way to prevent from happening again because if you're a hamster for much longer you won't be able to become human again..." Lunette said in a rush. "Don't hurt me... -Kushi-Kushi-"  
  
"Oh... did you find something then?" Laura asked, now eerily calm.  
  
"Sure did!" Travis exclaimed with artificial cheer. (Note to self: never make Laura angry... she's scary...)  
  
"So when can you do it? Kana is waiting for me outside," Laura asked now really calm.  
  
"Tonight, during the full moon, when I'm at my strongest," Lunette said. "This little interference has weakened the curse, so it should be no trouble breaking it, if nothing else goes wrong."  
  
"I have a totally great idea, since we have to wait for tonight let's, like go and show our new friends Acorn Mountain," Sandy said, winking at her brother. Stan's eyes widened as he remembered the 'plan' and a sly smile crossed his face.  
  
"That is such a good idea. It'll be so cool and it'll totally cause time to fly by," He said walking up to the group.  
  
"But what about Kana... won't she feel left out?" Oxnard asked about his human.  
  
"Wellll..." Lunette said with a sly smile of her own.  
  
"Wait... you wouldn't..." Oxnard stammered as he figured out her plan.  
  
"Oh I see... Do it, because I KNOW she'll have fun," said the glasses wearing girl's best friend.  
  
(Note to self: Laura can be evil... so treat her very nicely) Travis thought as he saw her wicked smirk. Lunette nodded then she and Laura ran out. Five minutes later... they both walked in with another hamster, who was looking a bit annoyed. She was slightly over seven cementers tall, about the same height as Pashmina and Laura. Thin-framed glasses that magnified her brown eyes were on her face, she wore a yellow short sleeve jacket, and her fur was a rich chocolate brown color.  
  
Oxnard was almost afraid to ask, but he did. "Kana is that you?"  
  
"Yeah it's me... This one thought it would be fun if I joined her for the afternoon," she said, playful punching Laura on the arm.  
  
"It is just temporary right?" Her hamster asked worriedly. Lunette nodded, putting some of his concerns to rest.  
  
"Um... you're taking this better then both Laura, and me" Travis said to Kana.  
  
"You're right, he does make a cute hamster," She commented to Laura, who blushed. "But to answer to your observation, Laura explained everything earlier and I saw her change. So this isn't as big as a shock as it could have been."  
  
"Enough talk, ladies. It's time for fun," Stan said placing his arms around both Laura and Kana. Oxnard moved over and gently removed Stan from Kana and Laura.  
  
"If they have fun, it won't be with you..." he muttered as he dragged him away.  
  
"Hey! Hey! Only Sandy can do this!" He exclaimed as he was removed from the presence of the ham-girls, who watched with sweat drops.  
  
"My wayward brother does have a point, let's get ready and go!" Sandy exclaimed. And the ham-hams did just that. Boss was in the lead as they headed out. The others followed in this order: Cappy, Bijou and Pashmina, Penelope and Lunette, Dexter, Panda and Howdy, Maxwell, Travis and Hamtaro, Laura and Kana, Oxnard and lastly Sandy and Stan. Everyone was talking and happy to be in each other's company. Bijou, Pashmina, and shortly Lunette and Penelope were discussing the boys, and by the amount of blushing and/or giggling going there was planning going on. Sandy and Stan also were whispering their own plans, actually mirroring each other in smiles when any of the ham-hams looked in their direction. Travis was extolling the glories and subtleties of Soccer to Hamtaro, who was adding his thoughts on the subject. Maxwell soon turned and joined in on that conversation. Panda was telling Howdy about his new project, and the shrewd hamster was calculating the cost for him. Dexter was engaging in his favorite hobby, Pashmina watching. Cappy was helping Boss navigate, using this time to learn more field hamster lore. Oxnard was curiously watching his owner while lost in his own thoughts. Finally Kana was having a blast seeing the world through her beloved pet's perspective with her best friend by her side. When they reached their destination, Boss called them all together.  
  
"Ok, here's the plan. We'll stick together and look for nuts and acorns. That way it will take less time to meet up for the picnic," He said. When he opened his eyes after this little speech, only Cappy was still there listening. A sweat drop ran down the back of his head. "Or we can just split up like normal... "  
  
Sandy and Stan had roped Travis and Laura into accompanying them, and had got Oxnard and Hamtaro to distract Kana and Lunette. The twins were planning on playing matchmaker. Sandy kept Laura's attention on herself by asking her questions on rhythm gymnastics and school, while Stan engaged Travis on the topic of winter sports. Nether human turned hamster noticed how they were both steered away from the others.  
  
"So that's what you really learn at school? Max didn't have us do that," Sandy commented after Laura finished telling her about her math class. "What point does any of that have?"  
  
"I suppose it will help us when we get older. Most of human technology is based on mathematics. So it's fairly important," The brown hamster answered thoughtfully. "Why what did you learn when you made your own school?" She asked. While Sandy answered, Stan and Travis approached from the other direction. Stan was showing various ways to find nuts, and showing off doing it. Of course, Travis good-naturedly joined him.  
  
"Here's a fun way to get the high ones," Stan said. The tiger stripped hamster dashed up a tree and with out slowing down jumped from the trunk to a branch. The shock shook the tree limb causing a rain of nuts to fall down. Stan however kept running along the shaking branch, and just as he reached the end, he ripped off a leaf and jumped off. He used the foliage to parachute to the ground. Travis was impressed, to say the least.  
  
"Let me give it a whirl," He murmured when Stan rejoined his side, carrying all of the nuts he had shaken loose. Travis scanned the trees in the forest around him, and selected a likely looking target. Gathering his courage, he ran toward it and using his new hamster body's abilities, scaled it with out losing too much speed. Following Stan's example, he leapt on a branch. However he found himself losing his balance of the shaking bough and had to jump off earlier. Luckily he managed to find a leaf like Stan and float gently to the ground. Laura and Sandy saw the last of the feat, and in a show of concern, the human turned hamster ran over to her secret crush.  
  
"Are you Ok? Why would you do something like that, you could have been hurt!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I guess it was kind of reckless. But it sure was fun, and look at all of the nuts that fell down," he said nervously.  
  
"I don't care about your nuts, I care about you!" Laura said. Unknown to both of them, Sandy and Stan both had backed away from them.  
  
"You care about me?" Travis asked softly. Laura was shocked speechless at what she had just said. Blushing furiously, she slowly nodded. Travis gave her a warm smile, and opened his mouth to say something when the unthinkable happened. With a frightening yowl Snuff pounced both of them. Travis on reflex jumped clear, but Laura froze instead. Travis stood in horror as the cat held a shivering Laura under a clawed paw. Sandy and Stan both quickly moved to his side, and the black hamster gave them a quick glance of thanks.  
  
"So little interfering one, we meet again. And I see that you have your allies with you. Don't think I forgot them either," The grey and white tom said glaring first at Travis, then at Stan who gulped and backed up a step. He turned his gold eyes and glanced at the rest of the ham-hams who showed up. "If any of you attempt to do anything, I'll end her life." He dove that statement home by pressing down harder on Laura, who could only make a frightened whimper. The brown hamster closed her eyes as she felt the claws of the predator press into her fur. They hadn't penetrated her skin yet, but with a little more pressure... Kana, Lunette, Hamtaro and Boss, who were about to rush forward, halted.  
  
"What do you want Sorcerer?" Lunette spat out. Her hat and poncho blew in an unseen wind as she prepared herself for a battle.  
  
"I want you and these interfering ones to meet me tomorrow at noon at this address," he calmly stated. A piece of paper appeared and floated to the ground in front of Travis. The black hamster picked it up and glanced at it. On it was a map to a certain house in a more affluent neighborhood. "ALL of you must attend. Please don't be late, as I would hate to make her suffer longer then necessary." With that he gently picked Laura up with his mouth and walked off, the ham-hams helplessly watching.  
  
"I know I'll be there, you mangy feline... " Travis muttered glaring after the cat.  
  
(Hold on Laura! We won't let him hurt you!) Hamtaro thought with an equally angry expression. While they were surprised this day, the Ham-hams would be ready for the next encounter, and they wouldn't lose... 


	6. Chapter six part one: On final battles, ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, but I do own the plot of this story and Lunette and Snuff.  
  
A/N: I'm going to release this in parts because this chapter is long! So read and tell me what you think.   
  
Innocent Kiss  
Chapter six part one: On final battles, old grudges, and dramatic moments   
  
The clubhouse was a hive of activity. All of the ham-hams were busy preparing for the next day. Lunette, Maxwell, and Panda revised the counter curse seeing as they couldn't cure Laura that night. Oxnard and Dexter were spending some time with Kana, who was shocked and distressed by her best friend's predicament. Cappy, Howdy, Boss, Stan, Sandy, and Hamtaro discussed ways to outwit Snuff, while Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope prepared medical supplies in case one of them got hurt. Travis sat apart from all of this, looking down from the loft next to Snoozer.   
  
"Look at all of this. I wonder if we have a chance here. The biggest problem I can see is the fact that only Lunette knows what that 'cat' can really do. I only encountered him twice, and both times I was in over my head, so to speak," he thought out loud. "I mean, I just learned how to use this magic last night, while he's been doing it for years. So what happens if I can't save Laura?"   
  
"Zu... Zu... Zu... do what your heart tells you, and believe in the strength of love and friendship... yawn... and you won't go wrong," The sleepy hamster said.   
  
Travis started at Snoozer's words. He had forgotten that he was even there. Looking down he pondered the wise words. (He's right. All I have to do is believe in my new friends and myself. I also need... practice.) With new strength and determination he stood up and began to prepare for the biggest battle of his young life. Sliding downstairs in the gondola, he stepped out of the basket and headed over to the main table, where Lunette was flipping through The Magus.   
  
"Arg! I just don't see it! I know there was a way to do this, I just can remember how!" The sliver furred hamster exclaimed. She pulled down her hat and sighed. (Master Sage, why did you have to leave me? I could really use you help right about now...) She thought. Travis gently tapped on the table to get her attention. She looked at her new friend with a small frustrated smile. "Yes?"   
  
Smiling back he asked, "I need to ask you, what exactly should I do to prepare for this? How is a battle between magic users fought?"   
  
"Well, we can't directly affect him. As I was saying before, we can only change, create, or control. As long as he has a charge of magic energy in him, we can't do anything permanent to him. Instead, we will have to slow down, confuse, and dishearten him. Doing so will make him lose his focus and will to fight, and we can save Laura. However, there is one problem. He can directly attack us. Sorcery is different than Magecraft in the fact that the three tenets are: Distort, Disrupt, and Destroy. He used Distort on Laura, who soon won't be human anymore. Unlike Change magic, its sole purpose is to weaken the victim. The only reason you're not in the same boat is the fact I interfered. Disrupt magic is like Control, except it can cause things to behave in ways that nature never intended. And Destroy is like create magic. Very basic, it only breaks things down. However, this can be a double-edged sword and can easily take out the user as well," Lunette answered. "This doesn't mean a mage can't attack, it's just that there are less attack spells for us."   
  
"Whoa! Kind of like the Dark side of the force," Travis murmured. Seeing that his hamster was confused, he elaborated. "I mean they are like evil mages or something."  
  
"Oh no, it's not that Sorcery is evil. Magic is Magic. The user determines what the power is used for. Sorcery is power and Magecraft control. Power is self-destructive without control, and control is nothing with any power behind it. Long ago The Magus's sister book, The Eye of the Beholder, used to be stored with it and both sects worked together. Then there was a falling out when one of Master Sorcerers decided to take all of the power for himself. He consumed most of the others of his sect, stealing their power and lengthening his own life considerably. He stole The Eye and tried to take the Magus, but a brave Master Mage stopped him. Determined, he enlisted the aid of other's who were just as power hungry. There was a great war, and in the end, only a few masters on each side were alive. During the war, those who fell, passed their power to those who didn't, so that the few could live longer. Since my Master give his powers to me, I'm almost immortal, as long as I don't get killed," She said.   
  
"Wow," Travis said in awe. "What else happened?"   
  
"Well, Snuff is one of the last of the ancient sorcerers, and my master was one of the last of the old mages. My master was one of the ones dedicated to peace and balance, while Snuff is an anarchist dedicated to power and chaos. I'm like you Travis. My master was slowly giving his ancient strength while awakening my own powers. But one day..." She shook her head as a sad memory caused her to almost lose her composure. "Well let's say he got hurt badly and before he passed on he gave me this book and his power."   
  
"So how many magic user's are left?" Travis asked.   
  
"I don't know. Not that many. The ones like my former master have been trying to teach new ones, but with the few anarchists around... they always seem to have a way to find them. And with their inexperience..." Lunette shook her head.   
  
"So is that why that cat is still after me?" he asked.   
  
She nodded then added," He also holds a grudge. He had me that night you interfered and you having potential just sweetens the deal, at least in his mind."   
  
"Well this has given me something to think about... I'll try to be ready," He said.   
  
"Go talk to Boss and the others. I'm sure they can benefit from what I told you. Maybe they have come up with something?" She said. Travis nodded and did just that.   
  
Sandy left the classroom, just as Travis was about to enter it. "Hey. How are you like, holding up?" She asked him as he was about to past by.   
  
"Alright I guess, considering what happened," he responded. "How about you?"   
  
"I'm still a bit shaken, but we seem to be close to forming a plan. So I'm hopeful," she said in return. "Well, I better get going. I still have to get some chalk," Sandy when out and Travis enter the classroom. This was a room near the back of the clubhouse that was converted into a lecture hall when the ham-hams wanted to try being in school. Travis walked in and sat on the second tier from the bottom. To his left was Howdy, and across the short path down the middle, were Cappy and Stan. Boss and Hamtaro stood at the bottom next to the chalkboard, and examining a plan that was drawn on the chalkboard. Apparently there was a minor disagreement in one of the details of the plan. Travis interrupted politely and began to tell them about what Lunette said to him about magic.   
  
Meanwhile Sandy walked up on Lunette, Maxwell and Panda who were still stuck on one last problem. They had found out how to counter Snuff's magic, but they didn't have enough power with out using the full moon as an amplifier.   
  
"Well why don't you, like, use something else?" Sandy asked when she heard of the problem. "I mean you said this thing had to do with emotion right?"   
  
"You know, I never thought of that... Sandy you're a genius!" Maxwell exclaimed giving her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Welllll... I don't know about that..." She said blushing.   
  
"Any new perspective helps," Panda said ushering her over to where they working. And so the afternoon passed quickly. Eventually the ham-hams had to leave to go back to their individual owners. Kana and Oxnard were the first to leave, followed by Howdy, then Pashmina and Penelope. Cappy, Dexter and Stan had to go next; the last to go was Bijou, who parted reluctantly with Travis tagging along. Hamtaro didn't need to leave since it was his owner that was missing, Panda's owner was out visiting family, Maxwell's was on a business trip, and Hilary was out at a meet so Sandy could stay. These last few hams, along with Boss spent the night making the last few preparations. Morning came and with it the ham-hams slowly arrived. The first to return was Travis, and the last was Oxnard with, Kana surprisingly. The girl had returned to humanity the pervious night. She covered for Laura's absence once again, but still feel she needed to do more. Travis was also in his human form. The black haired boy was going to provide transportation, with his bike. The ham-hams were grouped around Kana, who was kneeling and looking at the entrance to the tunnels, when he rode up.   
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked surprised to see her.   
  
"I want to help too, you know. Laura's my best friend, and we promised to stand by each other's sides no matter what. Besides that cat said that everyone had to come..." she answered.   
  
"Well, if you're going to come, you'll need a bike or something. It might help to have two of us that are bigger than that sorcerer." Travis mused.  
  
Kana nodded and said, "Great, I'll be right back!" She dashed off to her house to get her wheels. Meanwhile, Travis glanced around, and finding the coast was clear, shrunk down to rodent size again. He was in time to watch Oxnard and Boss carry out a bunch of backpacks.   
  
"Do you have all of the equipment?" He asked.   
  
"We have the medic supplies, multi-purpose rope, decoys, ham-sized flashlights, ham-sized paw held radios, two sets of long bows and arrows, one crossbow with quivers, one flail, two swords, two wooden staffs, one ribbon, three daggers, and one shovel. Oodlay! Everything checks, Boss," Howdy said counting everything off.   
  
"Ok ham-hams, let's gear up, 'cause we're going to the rescue!" Hamtaro said picking up one of the swords. It was a katana Panda had made, sharpened and reinforced. The black and white ham-ham had spent the night making weapons to defend themselves with.   
  
"This one's mine," Stan said picking up one of the staffs. (I'll look totally cool for the ladies.) He thought, attempting to spin it. Of course, he lost his grip and almost hit Oxnard. The larger ham-ham gave him an annoyed look as he sheepishly picked it back up. Travis picked up the other sword, which was a double-edged long sword. The hilt was long enough for him to use one paw and a half. Howdy and Dexter took both long bows, and Cappy took the single crossbow. Maxwell picked the other staff and one of the bags devoted to medical supplies. Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope picked up the other medical supplies, and the former two ham-hams chose a dagger each. They both agreed not to let Penelope have a weapon, because she was so little. That meant the littlest Ham-ham would have to stay close to someone the whole time. Cappy volunteered since he was bringing one of his larger saucepans, which could be used as armor. Oxnard picked up the fail, and clutched it nervously. Boss was going to use his shovel and Sandy her ribbon, so they didn't need any other weapons.   
  
"Panda what are you going to use as a weapon?" Oxnard asked when he noticed the master builder wasn't going to choose anything. Panda winked and pulled out a small, old fashion revolver.   
  
"I could only make one," he said nervously as when the rest of the ham-hams compared weapons. "It only has eighteen shots, and then I'll have to use this hammer."   
  
"What about you, Lunette?" Bijou asked concerned.   
  
The magic hamster smiled then responded, "I have The Magus and my magecraft. I don't need anything else." Everyone who wasn't carrying a med pack picked up a general purpose bag. These contained rope, a flashlight, and a small hamster doll that could be used as a decoy. Also everyone picked up a radio. Kana arrived with her bike, and after a quick change, picked out a spare med pack and the last dagger. Now that everyone was ready, the ham-hams split up. Howdy, Dexter, Hamtaro, Maxwell, Panda, Stan, and Cappy were going to ride with Travis, while Oxnard, Bijou, Pashmina, Lunette, Sandy, Boss, and Penelope were riding with Kana. After turning Human again, they both picked up the two larger backpacks that contained their new friends, and rode off. The directions Snuff gave Travis lead them into the more affluent section of town. The two cycling kids passed large mansions, both Western-styled and Japanese. They stopped in front of one that looked strangely like a medieval manor house, complete with an encircling stonewall. Travis checked his watch and noticed that they were there on time. Just as he was about to push the intercom next to the large wooden gates, the portals slowly opened. Travis and Kana exchanged a glance, and then wheeled in. The doors slammed shut behind them as soon as they got clear. Both humans leaned their bikes on the wall next to the door, and then let the ham-hams out on the grass near the long ambling path. Two quick changes and everyone did one last check.   
  
"Ok, here's the plan again. We are going to approach the house together. Once there, we split up and search for Laura. If you should bump into Snuff, run don't fight. Try to make some type of commotion, and everyone will try to help you. This is a rescue first and foremost, so we have to make sure that we do that before anything else..." Boss said.   
  
"Ok, everyone ready?" Hamtaro asked. Everyone gave him a nod. "Then let's go!" As the ham-hams scurried up to the house, someone was watching. Snuff reclined on a red velvet pillow, in what looked like a study. Books lined the walls, and a plush carpet lined the middle of floor. The white and grey tom, gazed calmly into a roaring fire. Inside he could see the image of the ham-hams approach. Next to him and also in front of the fireplace was a small sliver cage in which Laura sat.   
  
"So my dear, are you enjoying the show? I promise it will get better." He drawled.   
  
"You're just a big bully! I mean, what did poor Travis do to you?" she responded hotly.   
  
"Little tasty one, he stopped me from getting one of the most powerful sources of magic on this miserable dust ball. And for that he must pay with his life. You are just someone I can use, and when the time comes, dispose off," He retorted.   
  
"But what about the other ham-hams?" She asked, too angry to be scared.   
  
"Them? Lunette may have named one of them her successor. If she has, when I kill her, her powers would be transfer to that person, and not to me. So I have to be certain, and get all of them. Plus, I haven't had hamster in a long while. It's a treat to me." He said giving her a toothy smile. Laura shuddered and backed away from him. "Watch now. They're about to enter the house."   
  
The ham-hams stopped in front of the doors. They were large and ornately carved, with two cat shaped doorknockers. "Ok, we're going to be in four groups of four. So who's going with whom?" Maxwell asked. As the ham-hams discussed who they wanted to travel with, Lunette approached Boss.   
  
"Um... can I a...a...ask y... y... y… you..." She stammered, blushing heavily. "What I mean to say is..."   
  
"Yes?" The burly hamster said while shouldering his pack. "I want to ask if Bijou would be interested in having me in her group." Since he wasn't facing her, he didn't see the look of hurt that flashed across her face.   
  
"Never mind..." She softly said, walking away from dejectedly. Boss stared after her for a second, confused by her change in attitude, but shrugged it off. He had to find his little jewel before Hamtaro did.   
  
In a moment the groups were:   
Hamtaro, Pashmina, Dexter, and Oxnard;   
Stan, Maxwell, Sandy, and Howdy;  
Panda, Kana, Penelope, and Cappy;   
Boss, Bijou, Travis, and Lunette.  
  
Travis and Lunette took it the liberty of opening the door with their magic. With a bit of focus and a wave of two paws the doors opened. The ham-hams tighten their grip on their weapons and entered the mansion. This time the doors slowly closed behind them. The first floor opened on to a wide foyer. There were two halls to the sides, and steps leading to the second floor.   
  
"Ok, Panda's group, go to the left, Stan's to the right, and me and Hamtaro's will go up the stairs," Boss said taking charge.   
  
"Hold you horses. Why do you get to go upstairs?" Howdy asked, feeling contentious that he wasn't in the same group as Pashmina.   
  
"Well, if you want to be the most likely one to face the cat first..." Dexter snidely commented. Howdy really didn't have a comeback for that one, so he backed off. That and Travis sent a death glare his way.   
  
"We don't have time to fight. We have to find Laura before something happens to her!" he exclaimed. He headed for the right set of stairs.   
  
"He's right!" Hamtaro yelled heading for the left set. The others paused only a second before heading off as well.   
  
[Hamtaro's group or party one]  
  
Hamtaro waited at the top of the stairs, watching Oxnard helping Dexter and Pashmina. After a moment, he turned to inspect his surroundings. A large oak-paneled door was behind him and to the left, and he was standing on a rich red carpet. To his right a long landing extended, connecting both sets of stairs. The walls were painted dark brown and a crystal chandelier let the whole area. He could faintly see Boss's group on the other side of the landing. When the other three members of his party drew level he lead them under the door. Before them there was a black and white checkered floor. Just as Hamtaro was going to step off of the carpet onto the tile, Snuff appeared in front of them causing the brave hamster to jump back and to draw his sword.   
  
"Hello little one. Your former human friend is very agitated about your safety. So I decided to be kind and warn you. If you understand the rules of chess, you can reach the end of the hallway safely. But be warned, a misstep will cost you!" He said with a smug grin. The image vanished.   
  
"Chess? What's Chess? Some type of game?" Hamtaro asked his friends.   
  
"I heard of it. My owner plays it with a few friends of his. You have these pieces, and each can only move in one way. The object is to trap this one piece called the king," Dexter said. "Come to think of it, the floor here looks kind of like a chess board..." He said looking at the two-tone tiles. Pashmina cautiously stepped on one of the tiles, a black one, and a shimmering image appeared around her. It was in the shape of a white bishop. The image didn't last long before it vanished. The scarf wearing girl-ham squeaked in surprise then blinked when nothing more happened.   
  
"Hey. That wasn't to bad!" She exclaimed in relief.   
  
"If tricks like that are the only thing in our way, then we can rescue Laura for sure!" Hamtaro said, jumping into the white square next to Pashmina. The image of the white knight appeared around him. Oxnard was about to follow Hamtaro into the same square, but Dexter stopped him.   
  
"Wait! I get it now! When we step on the floor, we become a chess piece. So in order to cross we have to move like the piece that flashes around us. Also we each have to stay in one step in one square and one square only! If you had jumped into the square with Hamtaro, who knows what would have happened?!" He exclaimed. Oxnard gulped at the near miss, but still stepped into the black square to Hamtaro's right. Dexter stepped in to the white square on Pashmina's left. Oxnard became a white rook, and Dexter, the white king. As soon as the latter step on to the floor, four figures appeared on the other side of the hall. In the electric light they could see that it was themselves, in inverse colors. Where Hamtaro was orange his double was white, and where he was white, his double was orange. Oxnard was the same, with the grey of his coat inverted with the white. Dexter and Pashmina's were different. Where Dexter had brown fur around his eye like glasses, his clone had black. And for Pashmina, her doppelganger was wearing a blood red scarf. Each had negated eyes, the pupil switched with the whites. All four look-alikes pulled out the weapons of their double and the matching black pieces briefly overlaid them.   
  
"Your move first," Snuff's voice echoed down to them. "And you can't sacrifice in this game, can you?"   
  
"Well Dexter, what do we do first?" Oxnard asked. The gentleham though furiously, then made his first move.   
  
[Stan's group or party two]  
  
Stan was taking point, holding his staff with both paws. Sandy and Maxwell were directly behind him, and Howdy was covering the rear with his bow. The right door leaded to a stone path with clay walls. The ham-hams were puzzled by what it could be at the end.   
  
"What interesting construction," Maxwell noted. "It's completely different from the rest of the house..."   
  
"Max my man, we're dealing with magic. So don't be surprised if something weird comes up," Stan said, totally serious. "This place is very dangerous."   
  
"Stanly, what's up? Like, I haven't seen you this focused before," Sandy said to her twin.   
  
"Don't worry you pretty little head. He's just showing off, as usual," Howdy answered her.  
  
"I wish. You haven't seen this guy in action, Howdy. I thought you would realize that there is a chance we might not come back from this one," The tiger-striped flirt commented. "So we should keep are guard up at all times."   
  
"Just when you think you know a guy..." Howdy murmured to himself after Stan's outburst. Before anything else could be said, a low moan caught everyone's attention. The four hamsters looked around to find the source but only saw blank walls, at least for a moment. A paw made of claw slowly made its way out of the wall to the left of the group. Soon after a hamster made of clay emerged from the surface. It was wearing what look like a leathery chest plate and a small helmet, but the clothing was also made of fired earth. The golem had glowing white eyes, and was carrying a spiked mace in its left paw. Others, each holding melee weapons, soon joined it.   
  
"Well Stan, is this what you expected?" Howdy said readying an arrow.   
  
"Not quite ham-dude, but..." He said doing a few practice swings. "It's nothing I can't handle." Sandy readied her ribbon, and Maxwell leveled his staff as well. The ham-hams stood back to back as the earthen hoard approached.   
  
[Panda's group or party three]   
  
Panda's group wandered aimlessly. Upon entering the door of their choice, they found themselves in a room painted in bright pastel colors. Massive building blocks littered the floor, turning what could have been a colorful but empty room into a labyrinth. The quartet followed the only path formed by the walls of fun, but soon they came to a fork in the path.   
  
"Ok, so which way do we go now?" Kana asked. She looked both to her right and her left and saw no difference in the two directions.   
  
"Maybe we should just pick one at random?" Cappy suggested from under his saucepan.   
  
"But that could end up having us more in circles," Panda commented. The hamster carpenter shook his head, thinking deeply.   
  
"Ookwee?" Penelope commented walking a bit down the left path. Kana looked up from her thoughts and followed, curious to know what had gotten the young hamster's attention. As soon as she drew even with her, something burst through the plastic wall to the left of them. At first glance it seemed to just be cat toy in shape of a mouse. But on closer inspection the object had two very large spinning saw blades attached where the front paw of the toy should be. The object of death turned its beady red eyes on them, as it rotated to face the frightened hamsters. Just as the wheels mounted on the underside of its grey body began to spin, a gunshot rang out. The bullet from Panda's gun hit it right between the eyes, blowing clockwork and stuffing everywhere. The toy made two weak slashes in the air, and then it fell on its side.   
  
"Are you two alright?" Panda asked placing his weapon back at his side.   
  
"A little shaken, but fine. I'm guessing this is the wrong path?" Kana asked.   
  
"I don't know, but that thing came through the wall here. I'm guessing those things are moving through the maze looking for us... It'll be dangerous to stay in here too long." He answered.   
  
Cappy looked up from where he was giving Penelope a much need hug of comfort. "So should we go this way or not?" Everyone turned to Panda, who suddenly found himself in the position of leader.   
  
"Um... Let's keep going this way. We have cleared the way after all," he said nervously. The others nodded and followed him as he took the lead. (Boss, Hamtaro, I'm not sure I can do this. I hope no one gets hurt because of me...)   
  
[Boss's group or party four]   
  
Boss's group had been walking down a white hall. They hadn't encountered any danger, but they were on their guard. Boss was ahead with Bijou and Lunette behind him, with Travis in the rear. Lunette informed them that there was a large source of magic ahead, but for some reason didn't seem like her cheerful self.   
  
"Hey Lunette, are you alright?" Travis asked concerned.   
  
"Oh... I'm alright," She answered distractedly. "Why do you ask?"   
  
"You seem a bit down," He answered. "Is it the battle coming up? If so don't worry about it. After all, we have each other, so we can't lose!"   
  
"Travis... you're very sweet. Please don't ever change," Lunette said smiling softly. She glanced back in Boss's direction and sighed. The large hamster was talking intently to Bijou who was politely listening. (Do I even have a chance?) The group soon reached the end of the hall, which terminated in a large metal gate. The gate was open, and the ham-hams could see a large room in front of them.   
  
"Careful, there probably is something ahead of us," Boss said readying his shovel. The four rodents enter cautiously. The room they were in appeared to look like a coliseum. The walls were painted to look like spectator stands, and it was octagon in shape. In each corner a marble pillar reached the roof. The floor was a strange brown tile and the roof had a chandler hanging from it.   
  
"Thiz iz a ballroom!" Bijou exclaimed. "But eet's very odd."   
  
"Hey that wasn't there a second ago!" Travis shouted. In the middle of the room underneath the hanging light, a dog that looked exactly like Brandy sat. It stared at them coldly. Suddenly the steel gate closed off the entryway. The ham-hams could see that past the Brandy clone another gate existed.   
  
"It seems we have to get pass that dog to leave," Boss commented. "This shouldn't be to hard." He calmly walked forward to pass the dog, but it suddenly started to growl and prepared itself to attack. Boss froze as it opened its mouth. Blue lighting arced inside, and just as reached its peak, Travis blurred forward and tackled Boss aside. Both hamsters narrowly missed being blasted by the bolt of plasma that shot forth. The brown and white dog howled as its flesh burned off reveling grey metal skin. Out of the middle of its back, a gold key slowly spun. Its beady eyes glowed red, and large claws extended from its paws. With a bound it pounced both Boss and Travis, who dodged by rolling in to separate directions. The black hamster drew steel and ran forward to attack as the mechanical menace turned. He managed to score a hit across its front right ankle, before having to roll clear of its claws. He ran away from the monster but it soon caught up to him. Luckily Boss returned his early favor by ramming into its side. This unbalanced it allowing both hamsters to get in a few hits with their weapons. The metal dog jumped away and began to charge the beam in its mouth again. Both Boss and Travis waited to dodge again. Just as the attack reached its peak, chains appeared around its maw and shut it tight. The blast, having nowhere to go, blew back and the whole creature shuttered as the charge raced through it. The Mecha-Brandy staggered then shattered the chains. Flexing its metal jaws, it made sure it could still bite. Some of the metal fangs it had were now missing and there were black spots on its iron hide. With snarl it charged Lunette who was reading a spell from The Magus out loud. With a flick of its head it sent the charging Boss and Travis flying. Just as it reached Lunette, the floor in front of her rose up into a wall, which it crashed into head first. It staggered away but quickly recovered. It turned its attention to Bijou, who had been standing near one of the pillars when the battle begun. Currently she was on her way to check on both Boss and Travis. She looked over her shoulder and into the machine's blood red eyes.   
  
"Thiz iz not good," She said pausing mid-stride. The evil contraption charged her and she quickly found herself running for her life. "HELP!"   
  
Boss groggily stood up and shook the cobwebs from his head. (Ouchichi, that didn't feel too good...) He snapped out of his funk when he heard Bijou's shout. "Bijou? Bijou!" He leapt to his feet and dashed into an intercept course. The dog noticed him coming and tried something new. Spikes extended from its tail. With a flick it sent the lethal steel projectiles in his direction. In a display of field hamster agility Boss darted and weaved through the deadly storm. However this did slow him down and he wasn't going to make it in time. The dog pounced just as the white hamster he was chasing spared a glance back.   
  
(Thiz iz the end!) The French ham-girl thought as the metal claws came for her life. Suddenly Travis appeared and latching on to her warped both them out of harms way. Both hamsters reappeared still moving and had a nasty tumble with Travis ending up on top. They both sighed at the narrow escape.   
  
"Are you Ok?" He asked. She breathlessly nodded.   
  
"Ahem," Lunette said, clearing her throat. Both hamsters realized their compromising position and quickly resituated themselves on their paws blushing furiously. Boss interrupted the little scene and brought them back to reality by flying across the room and landing painfully in front of them. He had some very nasty cuts across his chest. Apparently, the clockwork canine slashed him with one paw, and then backslapped him across the room.   
  
"Oh non! Let me help you!" Bijou exclaimed. She quickly pulled some antiseptic and bandages from her pack and got to work tending the wounds.   
  
"Lunette can you trap him? I have a plan!" Travis said as it charged them. The dog had several slashes in its armor, from both his sword and Boss's shovel. Travis could see the gears and servos moving inside. Which had given him an idea. Lunette nodded and began chanting again. With one quick motion to the heavens, a wall of rock raised up to shield them. But the sliver mage wasn't done. She made three more paw motions and three more walls rose to trap their enemy.   
  
"Will that do?" She asked. Travis nodded and with a wicked smile pointed his sword at the air above the stone square. A small dark cloud quickly formed. Sweet stood out as he contracted. In a flash, water poured out of the localized cloudburst. Not a moment later there was a massive whine, and a blaze of light and a storm of thunder rocked the room. There was a immense explosion which blew both magic users head over paws. Where there was a rock square, now only a crater surrounded by burnt junk existed.   
  
"What happened?" Boss asked now standing. Bijou was a fast field medic and both magic users could see she did an expert job of bandaging the cuts.   
  
"Well, I felt that if it was trapped, it would use that thunder beam thing. So I soaked it with water and since it had cuts in its armor, the electricity traveled from its mouth to its internal parts, which caused it to blow. Simple really..." The soccer-loving boy answered.   
  
"Well let's get going. Snuff won't beat himself," Lunette said. The group nodded, and followed her out the back door of the room. 


	7. Chapter six part two: On how to keep goi...

Innocent Kiss  
Chapter six part two: On how to keep going foward!   
  
[Party three]   
  
The maze wasn't as bad as it seemed so far, and Panda's team was making great time. However they could hear the sounds of the killer toys cutting through the walls, so they didn't let their guard down. As they scurried through the plastic corridors, Panda took the lead. About fifteen minutes into the labyrinth, some Kana noticed something odd about the floor ahead.   
  
"Hold it!" She shouted grabbing the shoulder of the black and white builder. Everyone grouped around her to see what she wanted. "There's something strange here..." She said slowly shifting forward. Taking a roll of bandages from her pack, she tied it around her dagger's hilt and tossed the weapon on to the floor ahead. It landed blade first, breaking through the thin layer covering the hole. As the false floor crumbled away the ham-hams peered into a bottomless abyss.   
  
"Thanks Kana. I would've been falling forever if you hadn't stopped me!" Panda exclaimed.   
  
"Those are some quick reflexes!" Cappy complimented.   
  
"It was nothing," The glasses wearing ham-girl shyly responded, retrieving her weapon.   
  
"Still... " Panda began when the wall in the passage behind them broke down. Another one of the killer toys rolled into the hall, trapping them in-between it and the pit. "Penelope, stay under the pan with Cappy." He leveled his weapon when another toy emerged behind the approaching first. Panda fired, but the magical monster blocked the shot with one of its spinning saw blades. One of the toys rushed the hamsters, intending to slice them to ribbons. Kana and Panda managed to jump aside, narrowly avoiding death in the close confines. Cappy and Penelope where trapped however.   
  
"Stay back! I'll protect you!" Cappy exclaimed. He placed his saucepan on its side, using the handle to wedge it in the path of the monster. Both he and the blanket-wearing hamster behind him used it as a shield. The metal mouse was cutting into the stainless steel sending sparks flying. Grabbing Penelope he rolled both of them out of harm's way, and then with great coordination, he fired his crossbow one handily, sending a bolt right into the machine's left eye. He kneeled into a crotch, calmly reloading and firing several more shots into it. Meanwhile, both Kana and Panda had their paws full, taking on the other aggressor. It kept on top of Panda, preventing him from firing. After it nearly took his right arm off, he found himself pinned against the wall. Holding his bleeding arm, he looked up as the machine raised its arm to strike. Suddenly Kana leapt on its back from behind, and sliding down, stabbed the dagger directly between its eyes. She was thrown clear as thrashed about. Seizing the chance, Panda fired again, this time blowing it away. The Ham-hams regrouped. Panda had a cut on his arm, and Kana had a bump on her head, but otherwise they got out all right. After Kana and Penelope patched them up, they headed through the hole in the wall, going deeper in the maze  
  
"Ookyoo!" Penelope exclaimed cheerfully hugging Cappy who blushed lightly.   
  
"Your welcome... I guess..." Cappy responded. The youngest ham-ham held on to his paw as they followed Panda and Kana. (Boss, you should have seen me... I'd bet you'd be proud.) He looked over to Penelope who didn't seem to be scared anymore. (I wonder...) He thought. She glanced back over to him and he turned away blushing lightly again.   
  
"Pssst... Panda. Look behind us," Kana whispered giggling. He looked back concerned, at first, and then he noticed what she was telling him about. Cappy was currently looking at the ceiling, blushing while Penelope was leaning against his side, walking with her eyes closed and with a cheerful smile.   
  
Panda smiled and shook his head. "Don't say anything. They're both shy and might not have the courage to say anything if we tease them."   
  
"Ok. I got it. Still, it is quite cute!" Kana whispered back. Panda nodded just as they reached the center of the maze. There were six paths to chose from, and they could hear the machines closing in. "Ok, now what?"   
  
"Ookwee?" Penelope suggested pointing at one hallway. Kana was going to ask why that way, when out of the other five tunnels, more of the killer toys emerged. The Ham-hams broke into a run, with Kana carrying Penelope, and Panda and Cappy providing cover fire. Both of the boy hams emptied their weapons into the horde behind them.   
  
"I had to say this... but how are we going to get out of this mess? I'm running low on arrows!" Cappy exclaimed, shooting another toy in the head.   
  
"Just keep running! We should be close to the end now!" Panda answered as he reloaded mid-stride. He turned, and bracing his wounded arm, fired all six shots into the toys behind them. The bodies of the fallen stalled the evil creatures, but they quickly begin to cut through them. The master builder and his cap-wearing friend raced off not wanting to see when that would happen. They caught up to the other two members of their party, who had stopped to wait for them.   
  
"I think Penelope knows how to get out," Kana commented. The youngest member of their group was hoping up and down, pointing in one direction.   
  
-Hif-Hif- "I can smell fresh air! Good work!" Panda praised. The young ham-girl beamed, then raced off, leading the others. Behind them the toys cleared the way with a crash, and the chase continued.   
  
[Party two]   
  
"Let's like, show them who's totally the boss!" Sandy exclaimed. She whipped her ribbon forward wrapping around one of the clay soldier's heads. And with a jerk, slammed it head first into the ground, shattering it.   
  
"Oh Yeah!" Howdy yelled, firing arrow after arrow, into the ranks that charged them. Each shot passed through the attacking clay hams, breaking limbs and shattering torsos. Stan was really mixing it up. He pole-vaulted into a group holding hand-axes and holding his staff horizontally across his back span around knocking them down.   
  
"Oh dear, this isn't good. We're greatly out numbered!" Maxwell said parrying a slash from a stone sword. He expertly lashed out, and shattered the wrist of the clay ham attacking him. Whipping the other end of his staff around, he broke its jaw, sending it crashing to the ground. He dodged a thrust form an earthen spear, and with a double-pawed strike, snapped the weapon in two. A solider sneaked up to his back and was going to club him with a rock mace, when one of its comrades was flung into it, crumbling them both. Sandy gracefully flipped over the heads of her attackers and landed near where she tossed the clay ham. Spinning around, her ribbon flashed out, tripping and throwing her enemies. Using the grace and strength that came from years of rhythm gymnastics, she was seemingly untouchable as she danced between the clumsy soldiers. Her bother soon joined her, and matched her style with his. Years of athletics and dancing gave him power and style, and the twin hamsters became a deadly hurricane, crushing anyone who came within striking distance.   
  
"So sis, I guess they are learning why no one messes with us," Stan said with a smirk.   
  
"Yes, no one can beat us when we work together!" She answered while smashing the face of a soldier with the end of her ribbon. Maxwell was a force to be feared as well. The book-loving hamster stayed calm and collected, anticipating his enemies' moves then countering them. Making full use of his knowledge, he was ten steps ahead of the mindless mob. His staff was held steady, only moving in a blur to strike. While Howdy didn't have the twins' dynamics, or Maxwell's skill, he made up for it in sheer wildness.   
  
"Look out! There's one crazy son of a ham coming through!" he yelled. He was literally bouncing off the walls. The tan and white hamster fired arrow after arrow, and when someone got close, he used them as stabbing instruments. At one point Maxwell though he saw him run along the wall shooting, before jumping down and tripping someone, and then drilling them in the face at point blank range. Still, do to the sheer numbers facing them they began to grow tired and received some injuries  
  
Realizing this, Maxwell shouted over the melee, "Group together! We have to break away from them!" The others acknowledged his order and after ten more minutes the Ham-hams had forced their way through the mob and were tearing down the hall. Howdy had the most injures since he was being reckless, but because of the adrenalin in his system, he wasn't feeling any of them. Maxwell got the second most, and the twins had the least injures of them all. Sandy had a scratch across her left paw, and Stan a cut across his right shoulder.  
  
Realizing this Howdy made a gasping comment. "Hey Max. Do know ya know why you had better not ever hurt Sandy?" He said painting.  
  
Maxwell rolled his eyes then answered, "Ok hypothetically, why not?"   
  
"Because her brother can kick you tail!" Howdy said laughing at the fact that his girlfriend and her brother were better fighters.   
  
"Howdy, now is not the time to... wait what's that?" Maxwell began to say. Ahead of them even more golems awaited them. However, there was some hope for behind the small army there was a door. Coming to a halt, they hid behind a curve in the hall. Luckily, they had out paced the ones behind them, so they could take a breather. Maxwell treated their wounds while Sandy stood on look out.   
  
She glanced back as her brother helped Maxwell bandage a long gash on the brown and white hamster's side. It made her happy to know that the two hams she cared the most about got along together. After they were done, she approached her brother. "Stanly, could you look after Maxwell when we make a run for the door?" She asked. He gazed at her concerned.   
  
"Sis, are you going to be cool with that? I mean we fight the best when we're together... I don't want to show them less then that..." He said trying to act nonchalant.   
  
Sandy wasn't fooled and could see he was worried about her. "Don't worry. I'll stick close to Howdy so I won't be alone."   
  
"Me worried? I don't worry. Stan the ham is always cool. Just, don't let him get in your way," He said with a wink. She giggled at hearing the apron wearing hamster's cry of indignation. The break was over when they heard the sound of the first group approaching. Everyone checked their weapons, and with a cry rushed the door. This time the fight was even more fast and furious, since this was an all or nothing gambit. The Ham-hams made headway, until disaster struck. Sandy was doing fine, but as she wrapped her ribbon around a soldier's arm, it pulled her off of her feet. Tumbling she glanced up only to have one of the troops stab her right side. Howdy quickly dispatched the menace before it could finish her off, but both Maxwell and Stan heard her cry of pain.   
  
"Dude, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Stan asked, fire flashing in his eyes.   
  
"As you would say, totally," Maxwell said fury radiating from him. Howdy seeing what was coming, handed Sandy her ribbon quietly.   
  
"Darling, I think these clowns angered the wrong Ham-hams. Let's get a good seat to see the smack down," He said helping her through the door. The first group had arrived to reinforce the others, but the ham-hams had reached their goal. The magic sustaining the clay hams didn't extend pass the hall, so Sandy and Howdy were safe. Maxwell and Stan stood with their backs to the door, and the earthen horde in a semi-circle in front of them. Maxwell calmly tossed his pack to Howdy and then held his staff in both paws, horizontally and with his head bowed. He looked up as Stan did the same, the latter holding his staff in front of him. Both rodents gave the magic soldiers a glare so strong some of them stepped back. Both groups of clay hams suddenly realized that the four hamsters ahead of them managed to destroy over two-thirds of their number.   
  
"You morons hurt Sandy," Maxwell muttered softly.   
  
"And for injuring my sis..." Stan whispered.   
  
"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" They both shouted at the same time, and with a war cry they charged the clay hams.   
  
"Like, I can't watch..." Sandy said turning away.   
  
"You don't want to see such a spectacle?" Howdy said, reading his remaining arrows. He was going to be ready to give them cover fire if they needed it.   
  
"No, because I would want to join in! They are going to get sooooo trashed," She answered. Howdy gapped at her, then glance in the direction of the battle, correction... the slaughter that was going on in the stone hall. The clay hams were no match for the fury of the onslaught that Maxwell and Stan were unleashing.   
  
"...And me with out popcorn..." he murmured. Sandy cheered her brother and boy-ham on, bandaging herself so she could join in. After all, why should they have all of the fun?   
[Party one]   
  
At the start, the only piece in danger was Hamtaro, who was directly across from the Anti- Oxnard. So Dexter had him move two spaces forward and one to the left, putting him out of harms way. It was black's turn now and the Anti-Pashmina walked five black spaces diagonally to put her even with Oxnard.   
  
"Dexter... what's she doing?" The seed carrying ham asked seeing her pull out a crimson dagger. The evil ham-ham smiled and slowly licked her blade smiling blankly.   
  
"Oh don't worry. She can't hurt you until the next turn. All you need to do is move one space up!" The classy ham said from around Pashmina. Oxnard nodded and careful took a step up behind Hamtaro, who had turned and gave him a comforting smile. The Anti-Hamtaro mirrored his double by moving two spaces forward and one to the left.   
  
"Pashmina dear, could you move three spaces diagonally to the right?" Dexter asked. Pashmina looked at him nervously, then nodded. She slowly moved into position next to the wall of the hall. She then saw Dexter's plan.   
  
"Hey, I can see that other Hamtaro!" She exclaimed. "Is that good?"   
  
"Yes indeed. It means on our next turn, you can take the black knight," Dexter answered smugly.   
  
"Don't be so sure, ya geek!" Anti-Hamtaro said in hoarse version of the original's voice. "If she attacks me, she had better be able to beat me! This is no normal game." He smiled and drew his blood red Katana. He looked over to the protective hamster and licked his lips.   
  
"Hey that's against the rules!" Dexter exclaimed. "You can't keep a piece on the field if it's taken!"   
  
"You're such a fool! No wonder Pashmina can't stand to be around you!" The anti-Dexter mocked. The black king nodded to the anti-Oxnard, who gleefully crossed the board to put Dexter into check. "We play by the Master's rules here!"   
  
"Well, we won't lose to fakes like you, no matter if you cheat or not!" Hamtaro shouted. The courageous ham drew his weapon as well. "Dexter I'm ready! Just say the word!"   
  
"Hamtaro, don't worry about it. We just have to reach the door. So calm down and don't let them get to you," The bow-tied hamster said. He move himself one space diagonally to the left.  
  
"How can you be so calm?" Oxnard asked worriedly.   
  
"Simple, when you argue with some one like Howdy everyday, you develop thick skin. I'm not easily rattled." He answered.   
  
"Oh no?" His evil double asked. He motioned for the anti-Hamtaro to move two spaces forward and to the right, stopping right next to Pashmina. Smirking evilly the clone swing at her head. She jumped back next to the wall as the sharp blade passed close to her body.   
  
"Don't worry baby, I'm being gentle since it's your first time!" anti-Hamtaro exclaimed, leering at her. He swung a few more times at her then was content to watch her cower from him.   
  
"Dexter help!" She exclaimed, eyes tearing up.  
  
"Hey that's an illegal more! A knight can't attack a piece next to it!" Dexter exclaimed furiously. The evil doubles exploded into laughter at this out burst. "Ohhh! Hamtaro, attack that over-blown replica of Oxnard's!"   
  
"Dexter! You're talking my language! Oopaa!" He exclaimed, running pass Oxnard. The anti-version was surprised by this aggressive move, and was stunned for a second. However when Hamtaro jumped into his square he came out of it. There was a shaking sensation then four transparent walls shot up to trap the two hamsters in the white square. The small patch they were standing on grew bigger as well. Hamtaro swing his sword in a downward ark, but Anti-Oxnard blocked with his flail. The larger adversary tried to bash his head in, but the orange and white hamster dodged to the side. He lashed out, blade singing, but the burly copy danced away. Both hamsters circled each other, anti-Oxnard spinning his flail, and Hamtaro holding his sword in front of him. With a cry, they both charged each other. Anti-Oxnard swung at Hamtaro's chest, but the plucky rodent rolled inside of his strike. Using his momentum he slashed at the evil hamster's front paws. The wickedly sharp sword did its work and cleanly sliced the paws off of his opponent, disarming him. However the result wasn't what the Ham-hams had expected. The magically made clone actually bled. Hamtaro backed up in shocked horror. He forgot what he was really fighting.   
  
"Oxy I'm sorry... I..." he started to say, when anti-Oxnard turned on him snarling.   
  
"You little pest! I'll tear you throat out with my teeth!" He yelled. The evil double charged forward and tackled Hamtaro, who was too shocked to fight back. This would have been the end for him, if he hadn't been holding his sword out. The double gasped as the keen blade pierced his black heart. The dark hamster tried to reach Hamtaro's throat with his fangs, glaring balefully into his tearful eyes. The copy gave one more lunge causing both of them to fall over, and then he vanished in a cloud of black smoke. The square returned to normal, leaving Hamtaro to stare at the ceiling. He could hear the voices of his friends, now that the walls were gone, but he was still disturbed.   
  
What brought him out of his stupor was the voice of his best friend Oxnard. "Hamtaro! I'm all right! You just beat a fake me! So please get up!" Hamtaro blinked then looked over to his friend. Both Dexter and Oxnard looked down on him concerned.   
  
(My friends are all right? I didn't just... hurt Oxy. He's still alive!) Hamtaro smiled and slowly got to his feet. "I think I'm going to be OK," He said giving both of his friends a strained smile.   
  
Oxnard hugged him from his square while Dexter looked out to plan his next more. (Hamtaro, I'm sorry you had to do that... but we needed that rook gone, and I knew you could do it... I just hope we don't have to fight them all...) His evil double scowled, and then moved one space diagonally to the left. Dexter had Oxnard move forward two spaces so he was in position to attack anti-Hamtaro the next turn. "Ha! Now you have to pull your black knight back or risk losing it!"   
  
"Think again, lack-wit!" Anti-Dexter exclaimed. He had anti-Pashmina move next to him, so she was in position to attack her double the next turn. "So what's it going to be? Will you take my knight, and lose your bishop, or will you move your bishop and allow my knight to go free?"   
  
"Dexter, should I move?" Pashmina asked looking back at her double who was shaking in wicked anticipation.   
  
"Please let her stay! Please! I so want to kill her! I'll be nice to you if you do!" Anti-Pashmina said giving Dexter a twisted parody of Pashmina's smile.   
  
Dexter shuddered. "I'll have nightmares about that thing later," he whispered to himself. Shaking his disgust off, he signaled Pashmina to move to the square behind him. She nodded and carefully walked past the smirking Anti-Hamtaro.   
  
"Don't smile in relief yet, sweetie, we have plans for you," he said.   
  
"You're nothing like the original! He's sweet and kind and you're just a jerk!" She shouted. With a humph, she stalked back to Dexter and Hamtaro. "I don't know if I want to keep playing if hams like him are in!"   
  
"Don't worry Pashmina. These bullies won't stop us. Just remember we're fighting for Laura and the rest of our friends," Hamtaro said comforting them. "They're nothing like the real versions of us!"   
  
"Thanks Hamtaro. I prefer this you over him any day," she said smiling. Anti-Hamtaro moved out of harm's way and in position to attack Oxnard. Dexter told him to move across the field and to the edge of the tiled floor. Experimentally the sunflower seed-carrying hamster stuck a paw off the board. Or at least he tried. His paw smacked against a see through wall.   
  
"Dexter! We're trapped!" He shouted back.   
  
"I guess there's no choice... we have to take the black king," He shouted back. His evil double moved forward one space, and Dexter mirrored him. Anti-Hamtaro moved two to the right and down one, placing Dexter in check. The bow tie wearing hamster didn't lose his cool. Instead he moved diagonally to the right, threatening the black knight. He calmly aimed an arrow at Anti-Hamtaro who did his best to avoid being in the white king's sights. "It's no fun when it happens to you, is it?" He said smirking. Anti-Hamtaro snarled, but moved back so Dexter's double was guarding him. Hamtaro moved so he was one space diagonally behind Dexter. Anti-Pashmina moved so she was hugging the left wall. Dexter move Pashmina in position to attack Anti-Dexter if Anti-Hamtaro moved. Frowning his double moved a space to the left. Dexter had Oxnard move two spaces to the right and put the black king in check. Anti-Dexter moved back to the space he previously occupied. Dexter moved Hamtaro to his right, putting his evil double in check again. Anti-Dexter screamed but moved one space up so that he was threatening Oxnard, but that meant Anti-Hamtaro was on his own. Oxnard moved one space to the left out of danger. Anti-Dexter stubbornly followed. Oxnard ran six spaces down into Pashmina's range, leaving Anti-Dexter fuming. He ordered Anti-Hamtaro to attack his double.   
  
"I don't care if you take him, but you're going to lose a friend!" Anti-Dexter screamed.   
  
The black knight shrugged then rushed his double. Like before the square enlarged and closed off. The evil ham slashed wildly, forcing Hamtaro to go on the defense. Seeing an opening, he rolled aside and slashed out. His double leapt back, narrowly avoiding a nasty cut. Both Hamsters jumped off the walls swords slashing. Landing they ran at each other and began a complicated dance of death. Struggling, they locked blades.   
  
"Give it up wimp! You can't beat me!" Anti-Hamtaro gasped out. "I have every move you have."   
  
"I'll... never... give... up!" Hamtaro yelled. He pushed his rival back by kicking off his sword. They backed apart and circled. After a moment they flashed forward and attacked. When they parted this time, Hamtaro had several wounds, while his double had only a cut on his arm.   
  
"You grow tired. Soon you'll be unable to defend yourself, and then..." He laughed then rushed the orange and white ham-ham. The swords danced, and no matter how many times Hamtaro struck his evil double, he never tired or felt pain. After another vicious exchange, he was knocked on his back by a kick. He barely avoided being decapitated by rolling aside, and found himself backed to the wall. Gasping, with his vision doubling due to pain and exhaustion, Hamtaro knew that he could only withstand one more attack. Gathering all of his courage, he charged. Anti-Hamtaro laughed and met his charge. The swords flashed, and both hamsters stopped with their backs facing each other. "Impossible..." Anti-Hamtaro whispered. The dark hamster dropped his sword from nerveless paws as he fell on his face. Hamtaro sadly looked back as the magical doppelganger vanished in a black cloud. As soon as the square returned to normal, Hamtaro collapsed. He leaned on his sword gasping.   
  
"Hold on Hamtaro!" Dexter shouted. Oxnard moved one step forward and stood next to Pashmina. Anti-Pashmina moved next to Anti-Dexter, putting the white king in check. Dexter moved one space forward, frowning. Anti-Dexter smirked and moved to the left, standing behind Anti-Pashmina. Pashmina moved to up and to the left, and leaving Anti-Dexter on the right side of the black bishop. Dexter moved one space to the left, glancing back at Hamtaro, who was still leaning on his sword. (We have to hurry; I don't know how long he can hold without medical attention.)   
  
Anti-Pashmina moved in front of the black king. Pashmina looked a bit panicked because she realized that soon she would be trapped. Dexter saw her predicament and asked her to move next to Oxnard. Anti-Dexter moved down and diagonally to the left, still guarding his remaining ally. Dexter thought furiously but before he could do anything, Pashmina moved next to him and into range of her double. Both Oxnard and Dexter gapped at her in surprise.   
  
"Hamtaro is in trouble. We can't afford to play it safe, not anymore. I think I have a better chance at beating myself, and besides, you can't play your best if you keep worrying about me, Dexter!" She said. She turned and stared into the eyes of her double, which giggled hysterically. Anti-Dexter opened his mouth to shout an order, but Pashmina's double attacked her on her own. Whipping up her knife and charging, the copy stabbed at the scarf-wearing hamster. Pashmina dodged to the right as her double span the knife around so it was pointed blade up. Slowly Anti-Pashmina walked forward, slashing at her double. The original backed into the wall, holding her dagger in front of her. Her double lunged forward and she darted into her, blade flashing out. There was a cry of pain and surprise, and Anti-Pashmina backed up. The evil clone's dagger had cut her rival's arm, but Pashmina's dagger had found it's way into her heart. Pashmina looked on with pity as her clone reached for her throat. Anti-Pashmina mouthed something silently, before collapsing and vanishing in a puff of black smoke. Pashmina looked at her dagger as the last specks of blood vanished off of it like a nightmare in dawn's light.   
  
"Pashmina, are you alright?" Dexter asked concerned.   
  
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch." She said calmly.   
  
"That was very brave," Oxnard said. "I'll try to be strong as well!"   
  
"Thanks Oxy. I think we can win now." She answered. Dexter nodded and had Oxnard move to the left into Pashmina's range. Anti-Dexter backed up and to the left. Dexter moved up and to the left next to Pashmina, and his rival move back to where he was. Dexter calmly moved up one space, and his rival repeated his last move. Dexter moved one space up and to the left, and his clone moved one space down. Dexter moved down one space, and the other king mirrored him. Oxnard moved back two spaces, and Anti-Dexter moved in diagonally down. Dexter moved down one space, and Anti-Dexter moved to the left wall. Pashmina moved one space diagonally down, and Anti-Dexter moved next to her. Dexter moved one space to the right, and Anti-Dexter moved back to the wall again.   
  
"It's over! Oxnard move over two spaces to the left wall!" Dexter said. Oxnard complied and the black king realized that he was in check, and had nowhere to go. "Checkmate, I believe Dexter said smugly. His evil double gave a fearful cry then vanished in a puff of black smoke. As soon as he did, the tiles on the floor vanished. Pashmina ran across the black marble and quickly opened her pack next to Hamtaro. The boy ham had fallen unconscious and she was worried he would go into shock due to blood loss. As she treated Hamtaro, Oxnard and Dexter scouted the way ahead. Seeing that the way was clear, they walked over to Hamtaro and Pashmina. The orange and white hamster was covered in bandages, but was now just asleep. Oxnard slung him over his back in a fireman's carry and they moved on, Pashmina in the lead and Dexter covering the rear. 


	8. Chapter six part threee: On one half of ...

A/N: Here's something to the reviewers!  
  
StinkerBW: Wait no more, the next part is here!  
  
Jade Stellar: I'm glad you like the Cappy/Penelope [art, and I liked the scene with Sandy as well.  
  
Katy-Chan: You like the chess game? That's great. It was a pain to write tho' Oddly I didn't think of HP when I wrote it. Go figure.   
  
burnfist23: This will be H/B, don't worry about that. I figure Bijou is the type of person to worry if any of her friends get hurt. But as you can see in this part, she seems to very worried about a certin hamster...   
  
I am waiting on Rk with much eagerness. I might add that I might still buy it when I get the money.   
Innocent Kiss  
Chapter six part threee: On one half of the Ultimate Spell.   
  
Soon the group entered a large open room. They found there was another door on their right along with an open staircase. A matching staircase was on their left and a large door was right in front of them. In the center of the room, all of the other ham-hams were waiting. Meeting up they took stock of who was injured or not. The most heavily injured, in order from the heaviest to the lightest were, Hamtaro, Sandy, Howdy, Boss, Maxwell, Stan, Panda, Pashmina, and Kana. Bijou, Boss, and Lunette made a fuss over Hamtaro's injures, for different reasons. The ham-hams exchanged stories on what they had to do to arrive. Lunette believed Snuff was ahead of them, so the ham-hams stopped to take stock on what to do next.   
  
"Travis and I should go the rest of the way by ourselves. Most of our main fighters are injured in some way, and this next battle will be with nothing but magic." Lunette suggested.   
  
"Hold on one moment!" We have come this far, so we should go all the way!" Boss objected.   
  
"I agree with Lunette. Oxnard and Dexter can watch out for everyone here. They are the only two who aren't injured," Travis said.   
  
"But I have just a scratch!" Panda said.   
  
"Yes, but you used up most of you ammo. Most likely your weapons won't work anyway," Travis said. "Anyhow, someone has to back us up. If we fail, at least you stand a better chance at making it out of here alive..." the human-turned hamster countered.   
  
"Don't talk that way! We're all going to make eet back!" Bijou exclaimed.   
  
"She's right. We need to stay positive!" Kana said forcefully.   
  
"Travis... is right," Hamtaro said wakening up. He heard the last part of the argument, but didn't respond till now. "Promise me you'll help Laura."   
  
"I give you my word that I'll bring her back," Travis answered. He nodded to the rest of the ham-hams, and he and his hamster walked two the door ahead. It opened quietly allowing just those two to enter, before slamming shut.   
  
"I guess now all we can do is wait," Oxnard said. The black and sliver hamsters walked down a long hall lined with paintings. From their perspective the artwork was cover in shadow. They soon came to another door, which led into the study. Snuff sat calmly in front of them on a cushion.   
  
"Welcome. I'm glad you could make it," he drawled.   
  
"Where is Laura?" Travis asked.   
  
"All in due time lad, all in due time. Just know that she is still unharmed. But first, you must defeat me if you want to see her again. Are you ready?" He asked.   
  
"Careful Travis, I fought him twice before, and he's no pushover," Lunette cautioned, getting in to position. Travis nodded and drew his sword, and the cat sorcerer stretched himself then stood. Travis attacked first, charging forward and attacking with an overhead slash. Snuff smirked and gracefully leapt aside. The cat landed then pounced on Travis. But the black hamster vanished right before the tom's claws would have cut him in to rags. He reappeared next to Lunette, who was now holding the Magus. She glared at Snuff and pointing a paw in his direction, sent a storm of dust his way.   
  
"You have to do better than that!" he exclaimed, diverting the cloud around him. Travis then fell out of nowhere slashing downwards. He scored a direct hit on the sorcerer's side.   
  
"How's that?" He said leaping back from the retaliatory slash. His eye's widened when the cat vanished in a blur of speed. Searing pain crossed his torso, as the white tom slashed him. He stumbled and fell to his knees. He heard a clanging sound and his tearing eyes saw that a dome of steel appeared around him.   
  
"Don't think that will save him, Lunette," Snuff said. "Faster then the wind, and shaper then steel, cut down all in your path, Finishing Claws!" When he said the last two words he swiped the air in front of the dome. Several narrow, gusts of wind raced out from his claws. The dome in front of him was cut into five sections, and then it fell apart. "Oh that's just annoying." Travis had moved himself next to Lunette again. "Cry, and burst into flames, White Death!" Lunette muttered a quick defensive spell as a circle of flames surrounded them. With a flash they were consumed in a pillar of white-hot fire, which collapsed in on itself leaving a massive scorch mark. "That was disappointing."   
  
"Where there was one, now make two," Gemini!" He heard Lunette shout. She and Travis split into identical copies. Both Travis's charged again, while the two Lunettes chanted the same spell again, splitting the two boy-hams into four.   
  
"I wasn't aware that you knew how to cast two spells at once? How else could you have avoided that?" Snuff drawled as leapt away from the four flashing swords. "Come to the call of your master, and destroy my enemies, Earth Summon!" There was a low moan, and out of the ground around the cat the clay soldiers from before ripped out of the ground. The sixteen soldiers charged all of the Travises who had split into eight. Snuff bounded to where he saw one of the Lunettes chanting again. He stopped mid-way when he heard chanting behind him as well. "It can't be..."   
  
"Calling wind and rain, thunder and storm, Hurricane Gust!" The first Travis said. Sweeping his sword forward, he sent out a crazily powerful gust of wind, which sent ten of the clay hams head over heels and into a wall, breaking them. The others engaged his doubles in combat.   
  
"Not bad, teaching the Human magic. But that won't help you!" So saying he jumped at her. Lunette ran in a zigzag away from the cat, but he did the same disruption spell that allowed him to move with blinding speed. He quickly pinned her and with twist, snapped her neck. However the hamster he was holding vanished in a puff of sliver smoke. "Her double?" He queried, and then he howled in pain as Travis cut the back of his leg.   
  
Hissing something unintelligible, he turned and snapped at him with his teeth. "Whoa! Relocate!" Travis vanished one second before his head would have been bitten off. The soccer-loving boy reappeared next to Lunette in her hiding spot behind a book. He glanced off the bookshelf to see Snuff toast most of the remaining copies of himself with some type of lighting spell. He also noted Lunette seemed tired and distracted. Holding his wounded chest, he limped over to her. "Hey, what's wrong? Did he get you somehow?"   
  
"No, it's not him. It's me. I can't focus properly, and casting all of these spells improperly is draining me. Give me some time, all right?" She said.   
  
"Well, I estimate we have about a two minutes before he finishes my doubles, and then..." He muttered.   
  
(I'm sorry Travis... Boss, if only... No can't think about him, I have to beat Snuff... But it's so hard...) Lunette thought. She sighed and bowed her head in concentration.   
  
Outside, the remaining ham-hams heard the sounds of battle, and worriedly looked in the direction of the door.   
  
"Eet iz no good. I do not think that they are doing well," Bijou said from her place at Hamtaro's side. Boss was reclining on the wall next her. He normally he wouldn't be happy with the attention she was giving Hamtaro, but he was worried about the litte guy as well. Sandy and Maxwell were leaning on each other, and Stan was resting nearby. Howdy was napping next to Penelope and Cappy who were mirroring Sandy and Maxwell. Pashmina was checking on the bump on Kana's head, as the latter was watching her hamster stand guard with Dexter. Panda was nervously pacing, glancing at the door every so often. Hamtaro was oblivious to this as he was sleeping again. Deep in his mind, something was happing.   
  
Hamtaro opened his eyes and found he was back in his cage at home. (How did I get here? And why am I healed?) He thought. He heard a noise, and when he looked up, he saw Laura enter the room. (HEKE!?) He thought shocked speechless.   
  
"Hello Hamtaro! You'll never believe what happened today! A cat kidnapped me, and all of you came to rescue me, but failed. It was so sad. It was because they didn't look up. But that's Ok. You can live at the clubhouse now!" She said cheerfully.   
  
"But, but..." Hamtaro stuttered completely confused.   
  
"Oh wait I'm sorry. You're not alive either, so there goes that plan. Well, I can always dream, can't I?" The fifth-grader said. "Just like you're doing now. So my little friend, wake up and find me. Only you can..." Hamtaro snapped back into reality, quickly sitting up. He winced as he turned to stare in the concerned eyes of Bijou.   
  
"Hamtaro?" She softly questioned.   
  
"Everyone, there's no time to waste! I have to go after them! I think I know where Laura is!" He exclaimed.   
  
"Non! You can't! You're too badly hurt!" Bijou exclaimed holding him down as he tried to get up.   
  
"But, Laura... I have to help her. She's my friend!" Hamtaro softly, but forcefully said. He stared into her apprehensive blue eyes. "Please understand..."   
  
She sighed and said. "All right you silly boy. But we're going to go with you. Boss could you help me here?" The field hamster nodded from his position over her shoulder and helped Hamtaro to his paws. Holding on to the smaller hamster, he helped him limp to the door. His earlier shout got everyone's attention, and all of them grouped together to hear what he had to say. He explained that he had an idea where Laura was and they should go through the door. Some of the ham-hams had doubts, but they all agreed as they were a bit tired of waiting. So the group entered the hall. Hamtaro looked up at the ceiling as they walked onward. Suddenly he pointed to a sliver cage suspended in mid air.   
  
"That's it!" He exclaimed.   
  
"Man, how do we get up there?" Stan asked.   
  
"I can send an arrow up there," Oxnard said. "If that's Ok with the rest of you?"   
  
"Oxnard that just might just work!" Maxwell said. "Quickly, give me some rope!" Dexter handed his archery equipment to the larger hamster. After tying some rope to one arrow, the ham-hams backed up. Oxnard stuck three arrows into the ground, two normal, and one with the rope tied to it. His first shot came up short. His second was a bit too wide and too far. Now that he had the range, his brow furrowed in concentration. He loaded the arrow and fired. The arrow flew straight and true, imbedding itself in the bottom of the cage.   
  
"I got it!" He exclaimed.   
  
"Good work, Oxnard. Now it's my turn," Dexter said. He quickly scampered up the rope, and grabbed on to the rim of the cage. He pulled himself up and saw Laura who was sleeping in the middle of the structure. He looked around and found door, which was just to his right. He pushed it up easily mildly surprised it wasn't locked. Then again, where could the girl go but straight down to the hard ground? "Hello! Laura we're here to free you!" He shook her gently.   
  
"Just a little more, Mom! It's not a school day is it?" She mumbled as she turned over. Dexter shook her more forcefully. She sleepily opened her eyes and sat up with a yawn. "Where am I? This isn't my room... wait... I remember, Hamtaro started to fight, and then he collapsed and I fainted... Is he alright?" She shook Dexter almost panicking.   
  
"Madam, if you would kindly un-hand me and head down, you can find out," He stuttered. She blushed then let go. Dexter showed her the rope, and the two of them descended. The moment she touched the ground she looked for Hamtaro. He was currently leaning on Boss, but he was smiling his same bright smile. Laura ran over and hugged him.   
  
"I'm so glad you're all right, sort of. I thought you had..." She gasped out tearfully.   
  
"Hey, don't cry. I made it, and now all we have to do now is help Travis and Lunette," Hamtaro said gently, wincing a bit. She nodded and smiled back at him.   
  
"Hey what about me? I came all this way and I don't even get a hello!" Kana said playfully.   
  
Laura latched on to her next. "Don't joke like that! I was worried about you, too! What possessed you to come?"   
  
"Hey, I'm your best friend, of course I'd come," Kana said off-handily.   
  
"Thanks Kana. Thanks everyone!" Laura cheerful cried.   
  
"Hey, we're all in this together, right?" Oxnard asked. "So there's no need for thanks."   
  
"You took the words out of my mouth. But we have no time to talk, we need to get going!" Boss exclaimed. The group turned and preceded forward. As they opened the large door to the study, they saw that their fears weren't totally unfounded. The room was a complete mess. Books and random debris were everywhere. Snuff had cornered Travis and Lunette. The boy was standing in front of Lunette who seemed to be leaning against the wall in exhaustion. Both Hamsters had wounds from attacks they hadn't been able to dodge. Snuff stood tall, seeming ignoring the few injures he had received. Travis held his sword unsteadily, but keep the point focused on the sorcerer.   
  
"Why do you continue to fight? You can't win. Your allies can't help you, and your both weary. Why not let me finish you off? I promise to be quick," the white and grey tom said.   
  
"Drop... Dead," Travis said. The cat gave him the feline equivalent of a shrug then lifted his paw up to attack.   
  
"Hold in silent stone, Solidity!" He shouted, sending out a pulsing grey sphere. Travis's vision seemed to slow as he saw the spell approach.   
  
(I can't dodge,) he thought. Just as he though himself finished, he felt something hitting him from the side. After he landed he rolled to his feet. He looked back to see what pushed him out of the way. His expression melted into shock as he realized that Laura had taken the blast for him. The brave girl had attempted to move both of them out of the path of the spell but she didn't get clear.   
  
"Silly girl, why would you throw you life away like that?" Snuff asked, cleaning himself. Everyone gathered around Laura who wasn't moving. The girl was now composed of hard unyielding rock. Hamtaro gently ran a paw down her back. He felt no warmth whatsoever.   
  
"Laura?" He queried sadly. "Laura?"   
  
"Hamtaro, I don't think she can hear you," Maxwell said after checking for a pulse. "There's no pulse." Sandy gasped, and hugged him crying tearfully when he stood up. Kana backed up shaking her head. Oxnard hugged her as she burst into tears as well. Panda stared out into infinity, in shock and Dexter sadly looked at his feet. Howdy closed his eyes and looked away angrily. Cappy just stared at Laura trembling. He looked between where the girl was lying and Boss in confusion. Penelope was completely confused. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but she could tell that everyone was sad. Pashmina tearfully held her in place by putting her paws on the young hamster's shoulders. She shook her head when Penelope asked if she could wake Laura up. Boss stood in shock, silently mouthing the word no, over and over.   
  
"I can't be... we came so far..." Dexter murmured taking a step in Laura's direction. He stopped unsure of what to do next.   
  
"This is so totally uncool... " Stan said trying not to cry. "Uncool."   
  
"Hamtaro kneeled next to Laura crying. "Please wake up! Please... I'm sorry, so please wake up." Bijou placed a paw on his shoulder. He looked back her eyes, which shone with unshed tears. "Why won't she wake up?"   
  
"Hamtaro," She said helplessly. She gently held him as he broke down crying. A blast of magically energy alerted the ham-hams that they still had to deal with the one who did this to Laura. Luckily, Lunette had gotten her second wind and had shielded them. The sliver-white hamster walked toward Snuff completely focused. Her hat and poncho blew in an unseen wind.   
  
"What you have down now and in the past is unforgivable. Even now you have no remorse for those you hurt. Even if it cost me my life, IT ENDS HERE!" She shouted.   
  
"So, you're serious? Very well, let's finish this with one spell," Snuff said.   
  
"Yes, let's," Travis growled walking up next to her. Tears were in his eyes, but he too, was focused.   
  
"Boss, get everyone out of here, now!" Lunette said as she walked forward. Both she and Travis started to chant together as their minds linked. "Light, which shines from every star..."   
  
"You know that spell? It can't be the perfect version!" Snuff exclaimed throwing almost every spell he knew at the two hamsters, but they bent around the two of them and joined the swirling energy they were summoning.   
  
"Darkness, which consumes all hope..." They said. Snuff lifted the bookcases that surrounded them and dropped them on the hamsters, but this failed as well.   
  
"Fire, which burns with wild passion..." The whole building started to shake as the Ham-hams picked up Laura and left the study. As they ran down the hall with the paintings they could still hear the spell. "Wind, which blows free..." They ran out into the second foyer and took the hall that Boss's group had passed through. "Water, which flows endlessly... I summon thee." They headed down the stairs of the fist foyer. "Combine with my soul, listen to my mind, and empower my flesh."   
  
"Oh boy, this is going to be a big one!" Maxwell exclaimed. Back in the study, Snuff tried one last tactic.  
  
"Would it help to say that there might be a way to reverse what I accidentally did to the young lady?" He stammered.   
  
"Turn my body into a weapon and destroy my enemies!' They both said still glaring at him.   
  
"Wait! Aren't you going to listen to the rest of my offer? IF YOU CAST THAT YOU'LL DIE TOO!" he said panicking.   
  
"Soul Revelation!" The both shouted. Outside of the manor, the hamsters glanced back as brilliant white light shot out of every opening in the building. They looked away as a massive, bright, column of radiance flashed out of the center of the building. It slowly consumed the building. The energy exploded outward, sending its glory to turn the afternoon light back into bright morning. The denotation was so loud that the ham-hams couldn't hear it. Luckily for them, the bikes at the wall were out of range of the blast. However the shockwave still knocked them all out. They lay sprawled out for a good five minutes. Oxnard was the first to recover. The portly hamster had been shielding Kana, who was still out of it. He looked back at where the building was standing, and saw only a large smoking crater was left. Surprisingly there wasn't much debris. Most of the building had been vaporized. Of Travis and Lunette, there was no sign.   
  
(Did we really win?) He thought when he looked around him. He could hear sirens approach. (I wonder...) 


	9. Chapter seven: On ends and New beginning...

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, but I do own the plot of this story and Lunette and Snuff.  
  
A/N: I must say that this isn't as long as I thought it would be, and a bit cheesy to me... But I can't think of anything else so...  
  
Innocent Kiss  
Chapter seven: On ends and new beginnings.   
  
The Hams-hams moved behind some trees as they waited to see what happened to Travis and Lunette. They didn't have much hope, but they still waited. A few more minutes pasted but there was still no sign of the wayward duo.   
  
"Ya know, I don't think that they made it out..." Howdy murmured.   
  
"It was a big explosion..." Maxwell said sadly.   
  
"NON! I refuse to believe we have lost anymore of our friends. We should wait longer!" Bijou exclaimed.   
  
"Like, I agree. We can't give up hope!" Sandy exclaimed.   
  
"But, what could be keeping them?" Panda asked looking toward the large crater.   
  
"We had to climb out of that hole..." A voice said behind them. They ham-hams turned toward the path to find a battered Travis and an equally ruffed up Lunette. All the ham-hams, except Hamtaro who was physically unable, ran over and hugged them.   
  
"We were beginning to think the worse," Kana said.   
  
"Sorry about that," Travis sighed. He slowly walked past all of the Ham-hams whose moods dropped when they remembered one fact. Laura was still a stone statue. Travis wearily stumbled over to where Hamtaro was sitting by her side. "I'm sorry. I couldn't keep my promise."   
  
"That's OK. I know you tired. You did better then me. If I hadn't found her cage..." Hamtaro responded. He would have finished his statement if Travis hadn't interrupted him.   
  
"Don't even say that! If you hadn't found her, we'd all have died. She saved all of our lives... You saved our lives!" He shouted.   
  
But... Laura is..." Hamtaro started to say.   
  
"Is still alive. I think I have a way to her from both curses, but it will require a sacrifice, from everyone," Lunette said seriously.   
  
"What do you mean?" Kana asked.   
  
"Last night I found a way to break Snuff's magic. Since he... has been defeated, I inherited his magic. Casting that spell has drained both of our power reserves. To cast the counter-curse, I'll need to take power from everyone. But since you aren't magic users there will be a price,"   
  
"Which is?" Pashmina asked.   
  
"Your recent memories. The time we've spent together will become nothing but a dream..." She said sadly.   
  
"Then that's not a problem, is it?" Dexter said.   
  
"We'll gladly give our memory to save Laura!" Everyone exclaimed.   
  
"You're all are true friends!" Travis exclaimed.   
  
"So what do we do?" Oxnard asked. Lunette told everyone to gather in a circle around Laura, who was lying face up on the ground. They each link paws. Inside of the circle Travis and Lunette stood to the left and right of the petrified girl. Lunette pulled out the Magus and started to chant.   
  
"Be released from the shackles that hold you from your true self. Take from us the power you need to be free. With love's first innocent kiss," She intoned. [Now Travis, kiss the girl.]   
  
[WHAT!?] He exclaimed.   
  
[You heard me. The spell requires that. Just open your heart and believe...] She said in his mind, giving him a gentle smile. He looked around unsure, but everyone gave him an encouraging look. He sighed, and blushing he gently, slowly kissed Laura on the lips. Diffuse white light spread out over the girl's prone form. The luminance spread to Travis then outward into a large column of light. The brilliant light spread to cover everyone in a dome of light.   
  
"True restoration," Lunette whispered. The light exploded out.   
  
Epilogue -   
  
"After everything, no one remembered the whole final battle. All the Ham-hams returned to their owners, those that had them. They were healed so not even the physical scars remained to remind them." Panda woke up in his cage. He rubbed his eyes as his owner ran in. Mimi lifted up her pet. The little five year old smiled at her friend and began to tell him about her day, until her brothers interrupted her. Panda rolled his eyes when she put him down to chase her two older siblings. Dexter climbed out of a pile of eyeglass cloths when he heard the doorbell of the eyeglass shop ring. When he saw that it was just another customer entering he went back to his nap. Sandy watched her owner come back from her gymnastic meet. She smiled as her friend told her she won first place. Pashmina's owner took her over to Penelope's house. As June talked to her friend Kylie, her hamster did the same with Penelope. Kip and Sue, Cappy's owners, showered him with a set of brand new kitchen wear. He curiously examined his new toys as his humans gushed about his cuteness. Stan watched as Noel told him about Hilary's winning performance, which he had watched. The tiger-striped hamster shook his head at the depth of the young man's crush. Howdy meet Maxwell in front of the Park and the knowledgeable hamster calmly listen as the jokester launched into his new routine. Oxnard examined himself in a mirror in his cage as Kana prepared to leave for her cousin's farm. He was thinking about what he was going to say to Pepper. Bijou was doing the same across town with her owner Maria. Both girls, human and hamster, were preening for no particular reason. They just liked looking nice.   
  
"Well, let me correct myself, not everyone forgot," Hamtaro looked out of the little house in his cage at Laura, who was fretting about her appearance. Apparently Travis asked her to go somewhere with him.   
  
"Travis and I retained our memories cause we had the magical touch. So while Travis courted his love, I went to meet mine... even if he didn't know it yet." Boss was done tidying up the clubhouse. Everyone was coming over and he wanted everything to look nice for Bijou. He turned around from placing a blanket over Snoozer when the door opened. A sliver-grey hamster with a white moon over her left eye and white spots on her cheeks was standing at the entryway. She tipped her small brown fedora as her brown poncho blew in the sudden breeze.   
  
"Heke?" He said. The unknown ham-girl smiled, as her rose colored eyes twinkled.   
  
"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Lunette..."   
A/N: Well that's that. You may wonder why I chose to end the story here. Well I'm planning a sequel called Passionate Kiss. In this next story, I plan to resolve the love triangle between Boss, Lunette, Bijou and Hamtaro. Also I need you input, in the sequel, should Pashmina get a boyham? Here's a little preview of the next story arc:   
Oxnard stood watching the sun set. He sighed as he adjusted the pendent around his neck. "Pepper..." he murmured, thinking about the sender of his gift. Suddenly motion caught his eye. Out of the bushes near the clubhouse who should appear but the object of his affections. And she seemed to be holding on to a boy ham. Shocked he raced down from the top of the stone arc over the main tunnel.   
  
The boyham was a gold-grey hamster, with a white twelve-point star on his forehead. He was wearing a white long sleeve coat and black wristbands. Red eyes, half closed with pain stood out over a pink nose, and he had a short pink tail and round ears. He also had a long gash on his left leg. Pepper had brown fur covering her body except just around her belly. She has a white abdomen and matching fur on her face. Brown fur covers her round ears, and she has dark brown curly hair in two ponytails, tied with red ribbons. She was wearing a red bandana around her neck and has blue/brown eyes.   
  
"Howdy Oxy! Could you lend me a paw here?" She asked unconcerned about confusion. Oxnard nodded and together they lead the stranger into the clubhouse. He would find out why his girlham was so far from her home.   
  
: So there you have it. Who is this mystery ham and what is Pepper doing here? Did Lunette tell Boss her feelings? And how was Travis and Laura's first date? Will the ham-hams ever remember? Well you'll have to look for Passionate Kiss to find out the answer!   
  
Thanks to:   
  
StinkerBW   
  
Katy-Chan  
  
burnfist23  
  
Jade Stellar  
  
MaJohn Buu, John, and Jhonney  
  
Sockpuppetbug   
  
CTRNikkiM  
  
j  
  
Lauren  
  
Kathleen   
  
Chibi jewel   
  
KawaiiKaren   
  
Koolsnowball   
  
Your reviews have encouraged me to finish! Thank you for you patronage!   
  
Light Sneasel aka Christian Lovett out! 


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